POLICE INSPECTOR CALLS FOR RENEWED INVESTIGATION

C O N F I D E N T I A L JAKARTA 000479 SIPDIS DEPT FOR EAP, EAP/MTS, EAP/MLS, EAP/RSP NSC FOR E.PHU E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/20/2018 TAGS: PGOV KDEM ID SUBJECT: POLICE INSPECTOR CALLS FOR RENEWED INVESTIGATION OF EAST JAVA VOTING FRAUD REF: SURABAYA 10 AND PREVIOUS Classified By: Pol/C Joseph L. Novak, reasons 1.4(b+d). ¶1. (C) On March 16, Retired East Java Police Chief (Kapolda) Inspector General Herman Surjadi Sumawiredja told Pol/C and Director ICITAP Indonesia that he was extremely concerned about voting fraud in East Java's recent gubernatorial elections and informed them he was going public with information that he was pressured not to investigate it. (Indeed, his story was published in the press today.) He launched an investigation into the matter in January but was pressured from multiple sources to stop the investigation. He was then quickly transferred from East Java to Jakarta. Due to retire in June 2009, he submitted his resignation early in protest. By going to the press with his story, Inspector General Sumawiredja said he hopes to encourage the police to re-open the investigation. He believes that up to 25 percent of voters' names listed in the January gubernatorial re-run election could be fraudulent. ALLEGATIONS OF FRAUD IN EAST JAVA VOTERS' LIST ¶2. (C) Following the November run-off election (see reftel) and televised hearings, the Constitutional Court ordered the election be re-run in several Madura districts after determining that there was sufficient evidence of fraud. According to the Kapolda, the East Java Police found that there were 29,948 fictitious voters on the rolls for the January re-run. The loser again challenged the results of the second run-off election, but election officials determined the level of fraud did not affect the outcome. The new Governor was inaugurated in February. Consul General Surabaya notes that both sets of candidates likely engaged in vote buying. ¶3. (C) Retired Police Inspector General Herman Surjadi Sumawiredja is the longest serving provincial level police chief in East Java (3 years, 2 months) in the modern era. He is a respected Mission contact and well-known for his advocacy for human rights and protecting the public interests. He has also been proactive in cooperation with the Mission on counter-terrorism and anti-TIP efforts. PRESSURE NOT TO INVESTIGATE ALLEGATIONS ¶4. (C) Inspector General Sumawiredja began his investigation of voters' lists fraud in January following the re-run of the election in some Madura districts. Police Headquarters interfered with his investigation, asking him not to "overreact." Due to retire in June 2009, he was abruptly transferred from his East Java post to Jakarta in February. Director ICITAP Indonesia understood that the Governor's office and various political parties, such as Golkar, also applied pressure to discontinue the investigation. Director ICITAP Indonesia also noted that part of the Police resistance to the inspection may be based on their commitment to President Yudhoyono to remain neutral on elections-related matters during elections season. Inspector General Sumawiredja told Pol/C and Director ICITAP Indonesia that he was disappointed with the process and would tell his story to the press today to force an investigation on what seem to be serious irregularities with the voters' list in East Java. HUME