Corruption continues to resonate as key campaign issue

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 JAKARTA 000607

DEPT FOR EAP/MTS
NSC FOR E.PHU

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV KCOR PREL ID
SUBJECT: Corruption continues to resonate as key campaign issue

REF: A) Jakarta 386; B) Jakarta 219; C) 08 Jakarta 2177


1. (SBU) SUMMARY: Combating corruption continues to be a popular
election campaign message for many Indonesian political parties.
Anti-corruption reform and a clean image are critical elements of
President Yudhoyono and his Democrat Party's (PD) popularity. The
Yudhoyono administration's progress on corruption over the past five
years and the numerous corruption cases involving Parliamentarians
have led to PD's image as the cleanest party. Smaller parties -
particularly the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) - use corruption as
a central campaign message, arguing that they will clean up
Parliament. A current Parliament corruption scandal involving PD,
PKS, and other members does not appear to be negatively affecting PD
or PKS's clean image. End summary.

Voters still focusing on clean candidates
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2. (SBU) In 2004, President Yudhoyono centered his campaign on an
anti-corruption reform platform. And corruption still resonates as
a critical issue in 2009 elections. A January 2009 International
Republican Institute (IRI) poll noted honesty (60%) and opposition
to corruption (24%) as voters' second and third most important
criteria to select a legislative candidate. However, only 24% of
respondents said corruption was one of the three most important
policy issues facing Indonesia, according to the poll. High prices
for basic necessities (74% of respondents placed it in the top three
issues facing Indonesia),poverty (56%),unemployment (35%),
education (31%),and health care (28%) all ranked ahead of
corruption. These data suggest that corruption is a useful campaign
message, but Indonesian voters do not see corruption as a top policy
issue for the government. Economic issues and basic welfare
continue to be the bottom line for most voters.

All parties implicated in corruption, but PD cleanest
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3. (SBU) No major political party has escaped corruption
investigations by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) this
year. Transparency International-Indonesia polls consistently rank
Parliament as one of the most corrupt government institutions.
Recent investigations and prosecutions have confirmed this
perception: the Corruption Eradication Commission has prosecuted
nine Members of Parliament from a range of political parties since
January 2008, has already convicted six, and is investigating others
(ref A).


4. (SBU) President Yudhoyono himself has maintained a clean image,
which helps to bolster the popularity of PD legislative candidates.
A recent Indonesian Survey Institute (LSI) poll ranked PD as the
cleanest party (25%),with PKS as a distant second (9%) and PDI-P
third (7%). Nearly 50% of respondents identified PD as the party
that most consistently fights against corruption, according to the
IRI poll. President Yudhoyono has also maintained his
anti-corruption image by not allowing anyone - including family and
PD members - to be above the law. The KPK arrested Aulia Pohan, the
father-in-law of the President's son, in November 2008 (ref B and
C). And the President also sent a strong message to a PD Member of
Parliament embroiled in a current corruption scandal: stop
campaigning and meet with the KPK before the April 9 election.

Smaller parties campaigning on corruption message
-------------- --------------


5. (SBU) Smaller parties are focusing campaign messages on combating
corruption, specifically in Parliament. The PKS campaign motto is
"clean, caring, and professional" and its campaign rallies have
focused on pledges to establish a clean Parliament. PKS's pledge to
remove corruption from Parliament reflects a tack taken by other
smaller parties. Gerindra legislative candidate Halida Hatta -
sister of current Minister for Women's Empowerment Meutia Hatta -
has campaign posters in central Jakarta with a simple message:
Gerinda - for a clean Parliament. Bigger parties have focused less
on corruption. Golkar was identified as the most corrupt party
(18%) in the IRI poll, the only party registering more than 6% of
respondents. The recent corruption scandal involving Golkar leader
and Gorontalo Governor Fadel Mohammed - a potential Vice
Presidential candidate - could feed into perceptions that Golkar is
not a "clean" or "anti-corruption reform" party.

PD weathering current scandal, maintaining clean image
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6. (SBU) The latest Parliament scandal has implicated PD, PKS, and
other Members of Parliament accused of taking bribes related to the
recent fiscal stimulus package. Jhonny Allen is a key budget
commission member in Parliament for PD, but has a relatively low
profile within the party. PKS Member of Parliament Rama Pratama -

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also accused of being involved in this scandal - is part of the
younger wing of PKS and holds a higher profile position in his
party. Pratama dismissed the corruption charges as a smear campaign
in front a large PKS rally. President Yudhoyono and PD leaders have
publicly called for Allen to comply with the KPK investigation and
accept any penalties if guilty. PD has not suffered any noticeable
drop in public opinion due to the scandal, according to political
commentators and civil society leaders. PD and PKS are weathering
this storm so far. Nonetheless, the scandal reveals the public's
interest in corruption cases and the possibility of corruption cases
influencing the upcoming elections.

HUME