Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09JAKARTA154
2009-01-29 10:55:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Jakarta
Cable title:
FORMER PRESIDENT MEGAWATI CONSIDERS SULTAN AS
how-toVZCZCXRO7843 OO RUEHDT RUEHPB DE RUEHJA #0154/01 0291055 ZNY CCCCC ZZH O 291055Z JAN 09 FM AMEMBASSY JAKARTA TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 1338 INFO RUCNARF/ASEAN REGIONAL FORUM COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 5880 RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 2640 RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 3000 RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 JAKARTA 000154
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR EAP, EAP/MTS, EAP/MLS, EAP/RSP; NSC FOR E. PHU
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/29/2018
TAGS: PGOV PDEM ID
SUBJECT: FORMER PRESIDENT MEGAWATI CONSIDERS SULTAN AS
RUNNING MATE
REF: A. JAKARTA 0024
B. 08 JAKARTA 1195 AND PREVIOUS
Classified By: Pol/C Joseph L. Novak, reasons 1.4(b+d).
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 JAKARTA 000154
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR EAP, EAP/MTS, EAP/MLS, EAP/RSP; NSC FOR E. PHU
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/29/2018
TAGS: PGOV PDEM ID
SUBJECT: FORMER PRESIDENT MEGAWATI CONSIDERS SULTAN AS
RUNNING MATE
REF: A. JAKARTA 0024
B. 08 JAKARTA 1195 AND PREVIOUS
Classified By: Pol/C Joseph L. Novak, reasons 1.4(b+d).
1. (C) SUMMARY: The opposition Indonesian Democratic Party
of Struggle (PDI-P) just finished its national conference.
The key topic on the agenda was the party's choice for vice
presidential candidate for the July presidential election.
Most party regulars seem to agree that the Sultan of
Yogyakarta would be a good choice, though some other names
were mentioned. Party leader and former president Megawati
will make the final decision. PDI-P--running on a populist
program--continues to do well in the polls ahead of the April
legislative election. END SUMMARY.
CONFERENCE IN SOLO
2. (U) Indonesia's major opposition party, PDI-P, has just
concluded its national conference. The annual meeting took
place in Solo, Central Java, January 27-28. PDI-P
representatives from throughout the country participated.
The meeting was focused on mobilizing the party ahead of the
April parliamentary election and the July presidential
election. POL FSN attended the conference as an observer.
3. (U) In her remarks opening the conference, former
president and PDI-P presidential candidate Megawati
Sukarnoputri lashed out at the government for not (she said)
doing enough to help the poor -- "The government's failure is
due to policy choices that do not support the people." Tying
the campaign to economic issues, she said PDI-P needed to
support poverty alleviation and job creation as the way
forward.
SULTAN TOPS VP LIST
4. (C) The major focus of the conference was choosing a vice
presidential candidate. Topping the shortlist (and winning a
straw poll) was Sultan Hamengkubuwono X, the Governor of
Yogyakarta District. A member of the Golkar Party, the
Sultan is also running for President, but has not secured the
backing of his own party for the nomination. While not
considered particularly charismatic, he is a popular figure
in Yogyakarta and in some parts of Java Island. His approach
to politics is secularist, similar to PDI-P's. He has not
indicated whether he would accept an offer to run for vice
president (and thus end his presidential campaign). He did
attend the conference and held several closed door meetings
with Megawati.
5. (U) Also on the shortlist (and finishing second in the
straw poll) was Gerindra Party founder Prabowo Subianto, a
former general. PDI-P delegates also considered the
qualifications of People's Consultative Assembly Chair and
Prosperous Justice Party leader (PKS) Hidayat Nur Wahid,
Golkar Party member Surya Paloh, and former Golkar chair
Akbar Tandjung.
MEGAWATI WILL CHOOSE
6. (C) Megawati will choose the VP candidate. The exact
timetable for her decision is not known, but it may happen
before the April 9 legislative elections. For her part,
Megawati is believed to like the Sultan as a choice, seeing
him as an effective vote-getter in the Java region (the most
populous region of the country). Her influential husband,
Taufik Kiemas, also is said to support the choice of the
Sultan. It is still not clear, however, if the Sultan would
accept an offer as vice presidential candidate since he has
presidential aspirations.
PDI-P LOOKS TO BE IN GOOD POSITION
7. (C) Although it runs closely with the President's
Democrat Party (PD) in recent surveys (see reftels),PDI-P
remains a strong contender to finish first in the April
elections. The party is well organized, has many cadre, and
has funding for TV ads. Most contacts agree that the Sultan
would make a solid pick for Megawati for VP, helping her in
the Java region. In 2004, commentators felt that Megawati's
choice for VP, Hashim Muzadi, the head of mainstream Muslim
organization Nahdlatul Ulama, was not an effective candidate
and hurt her re-election effort. Megawati, if she is to beat
JAKARTA 00000154 002 OF 002
the relatively popular President Yudhoyono, needs to make a
strong choice this time around.
HUME
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR EAP, EAP/MTS, EAP/MLS, EAP/RSP; NSC FOR E. PHU
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/29/2018
TAGS: PGOV PDEM ID
SUBJECT: FORMER PRESIDENT MEGAWATI CONSIDERS SULTAN AS
RUNNING MATE
REF: A. JAKARTA 0024
B. 08 JAKARTA 1195 AND PREVIOUS
Classified By: Pol/C Joseph L. Novak, reasons 1.4(b+d).
1. (C) SUMMARY: The opposition Indonesian Democratic Party
of Struggle (PDI-P) just finished its national conference.
The key topic on the agenda was the party's choice for vice
presidential candidate for the July presidential election.
Most party regulars seem to agree that the Sultan of
Yogyakarta would be a good choice, though some other names
were mentioned. Party leader and former president Megawati
will make the final decision. PDI-P--running on a populist
program--continues to do well in the polls ahead of the April
legislative election. END SUMMARY.
CONFERENCE IN SOLO
2. (U) Indonesia's major opposition party, PDI-P, has just
concluded its national conference. The annual meeting took
place in Solo, Central Java, January 27-28. PDI-P
representatives from throughout the country participated.
The meeting was focused on mobilizing the party ahead of the
April parliamentary election and the July presidential
election. POL FSN attended the conference as an observer.
3. (U) In her remarks opening the conference, former
president and PDI-P presidential candidate Megawati
Sukarnoputri lashed out at the government for not (she said)
doing enough to help the poor -- "The government's failure is
due to policy choices that do not support the people." Tying
the campaign to economic issues, she said PDI-P needed to
support poverty alleviation and job creation as the way
forward.
SULTAN TOPS VP LIST
4. (C) The major focus of the conference was choosing a vice
presidential candidate. Topping the shortlist (and winning a
straw poll) was Sultan Hamengkubuwono X, the Governor of
Yogyakarta District. A member of the Golkar Party, the
Sultan is also running for President, but has not secured the
backing of his own party for the nomination. While not
considered particularly charismatic, he is a popular figure
in Yogyakarta and in some parts of Java Island. His approach
to politics is secularist, similar to PDI-P's. He has not
indicated whether he would accept an offer to run for vice
president (and thus end his presidential campaign). He did
attend the conference and held several closed door meetings
with Megawati.
5. (U) Also on the shortlist (and finishing second in the
straw poll) was Gerindra Party founder Prabowo Subianto, a
former general. PDI-P delegates also considered the
qualifications of People's Consultative Assembly Chair and
Prosperous Justice Party leader (PKS) Hidayat Nur Wahid,
Golkar Party member Surya Paloh, and former Golkar chair
Akbar Tandjung.
MEGAWATI WILL CHOOSE
6. (C) Megawati will choose the VP candidate. The exact
timetable for her decision is not known, but it may happen
before the April 9 legislative elections. For her part,
Megawati is believed to like the Sultan as a choice, seeing
him as an effective vote-getter in the Java region (the most
populous region of the country). Her influential husband,
Taufik Kiemas, also is said to support the choice of the
Sultan. It is still not clear, however, if the Sultan would
accept an offer as vice presidential candidate since he has
presidential aspirations.
PDI-P LOOKS TO BE IN GOOD POSITION
7. (C) Although it runs closely with the President's
Democrat Party (PD) in recent surveys (see reftels),PDI-P
remains a strong contender to finish first in the April
elections. The party is well organized, has many cadre, and
has funding for TV ads. Most contacts agree that the Sultan
would make a solid pick for Megawati for VP, helping her in
the Java region. In 2004, commentators felt that Megawati's
choice for VP, Hashim Muzadi, the head of mainstream Muslim
organization Nahdlatul Ulama, was not an effective candidate
and hurt her re-election effort. Megawati, if she is to beat
JAKARTA 00000154 002 OF 002
the relatively popular President Yudhoyono, needs to make a
strong choice this time around.
HUME