AMBASSADOR'S MEETING WITH KEY POLITICAL PLAYER

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 JAKARTA 000705

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR EAP, EAP/MTS, EAP/MLS
NSC FOR EPHU

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/08/2018
TAGS: PGOV KDEM KISL ID
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR'S MEETING WITH KEY POLITICAL PLAYER
AKBAR TANDJUNG

JAKARTA 00000705 001.2 OF 002


Classified By: Ambassador Cameron Hume, resons 1.4(b+d).


1. (C) SUMMARY: The Ambassador met former Indonesian House
of Representatives Speaker (DPR) and Golkar leader Akbar
Tandjung on April 7. Tandjung, who remains active
politically and is a possible candidate for president or vice
president next year, discussed his current activities, Papua
and Aceh, bilateral defense relations, the global economic
slowdown, and the U.S. presidential election. Tandjung also
previewed the legislative and presidential elections in 2009.
END SUMMARY.

A KEY PLAYER


2. (C) On April 7, Ambassador Hume called on Akbar Tandjung
at the Akbar Tandjung Institute in southern Jakarta.
Tandjung--who served as the Chair of Indonesia's largest
party, Golkar, until 2004--retains considerable political
influence in Indonesia and is widely rumored to be a
potential presidential or vice presidential candidate in

2009. (Note: In an April 6 interview with a prominent local
newspaper, Tandjung confirmed that he is interested in
pursuing the presidency.)


3. (C) Tandjung reported that since he left the DPR in 2004,
he had been busy pursuing a PHD--which he received in
2007--and building up the Akbar Tandjung Institute. Since
its inception in 2005, the Akbar Tandjung Institute has
steadily developed into a prominent local think-tank. The
Institute publishes books and journals on politics and
international affairs, holds seminars, and conducts polling.


PAPUA AND ACEH


4. (C) Noting that Tandjung was from northern Sumatra,
Ambassador Hume asked Tandjung about developments in Aceh.
Tandjung expressed his sincere hope that the peace in Aceh
would hold, noting that the province was endowed with
tremendous natural resources and great potential. In
Tandjung's view, the Acehenese were working towards a better
future and had the budget and wherewithal to maintain the
peace. The people of Aceh had already suffered too much, he
concluded, and it was a question of good governance at this
stage.


5. (C) Turning to Papua, Ambassador Hume explained the
significance of the issue on Capitol Hill, noting that he had
already traveled to the province three times since his
arrival last summer. Tandjung and the Ambassador discussed
the challenges involved in helping Papua's development,
touching in particular on the lack of human capital and the
uneven distribution of institutional capacity in Papua.

BILATERAL DEFENSE RELATIONS


6. (C) In response to a question about military relations,
Ambassador Hume noted that all of the restrictions on sales
had been lifted. The high cost of U.S. military hardware was
an obstacle to heavy sales, however. Ambassador Hume pointed
out that while lingering concerns about accountability for
past human rights violations remained an issue with the U.S.
Congress, on balance military relations were steadily
improving.

INDONESIA'S ELECTIONS


7. (C) On the subject of the 2009 elections in Indonesia,
Tandjung reported that over 30 political parties would
participate in the legislative elections, scheduled for April
5, 2009. The first round of the presidential elections would
then take place on July 5, with the top two finishers
competing in a run-off on September 20. Tandjung reported
that presidential candidates would be required to meet a
presidential threshold, meaning that they would need to
secure the support of a party, or a coalition of parties,

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which hold a certain percentage of seats in the DPR. (Note:
The DPR is currently debating the threshold issue, and most
Mission contacts believe the threshold will be between 10 and
15 percent.)


8. (C) Tandjung expressed his hope that the next president
would find a way to forge more constructive relations with
the DPR. The DPR's influence had risen considerably, and
President Yudhoyono had failed to effectively manage his
relationship with the lawmaking body. The result, in
Tandjung's estimation, had been four years of virtual
gridlock.

US PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS AND THE ECONOMY


9. (C) Tandjung told the Ambassador that he had been
following the presidential primaries in the United States
very closely. Noting that Barack Obama had lived in
Indonesia for four years, Tandjung observed that Obama could
"easily win an election in Indonesia." In response to
Tandjung's question about the key issues in the election, the
Ambassador observed that the economy and Iraq would both
figure prominently in November.

NEXT STEPS FOR TANDJUNG


10. (C) Tandjung is an important, well-respected player in
Jakarta political circles. He is friendly toward the U.S.,
taking a basically moderate view of key domestic and
international issues. We would not be surprised if he was on
a ticket as a vice presidential candidate, though two factors
would seem to mitigate against the likelihood of a
presidential run: a) he is not from Java: and, b) he is not
particularly charismatic. In the meantime, beyond his
political career, his think-tank is making an important mark.


HUME