ACEH ELECTIONS BODE PEACEFUL DESPITE INTIMIDATION AND

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 JAKARTA 000645 SENSITIVE SIPDIS DEPT FOR EAP/MTS, EAP/MLS, EAP/RSP, DRL, NSC FOR EPHU E.O.12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PINS PREL ASEC ID SUBJECT: ACEH ELECTIONS BODE PEACEFUL DESPITE INTIMIDATION AND SNAFUS REF: JAKARTA 611 ¶1. (U) This message was drafted by Consul General Medan. It is Sensitive But Unclassified, please handle accordingly. ¶2. (SBU) SUMMARY: The Aceh Party (PA) is poised to win a plurality and possible outright majority in the provincial parliament as well as majoi(ties in several local councils in the election onAApril 9. The campaign period has been messy, wit national and local parties complaining of pervaiive intimidation by PA supporters. Meanwhile, PA has complained that local officials and the militay( interfered in its campaign and that its campainn materials were being stolen en masse. PA cadrs" also tell of the chilling effect the string ofggrenade and arson attacks have had on its campaign. ¶3. Summary (cont.) Despite this, PA's leaders a ve acted with restraint. All parties, local an national, however, agree on one thing: the performance of the election supervisory body charged with enforcing campaign regulations (PANWASLU) has been dismal. Most observers believe that there may be localized violence surrounding the election - as there was in 2006 - but that overall it is expected to be peaceful. END SUMMARY. ¶4. (SBU) The Aceh Party is widely expected to perform strongly in the parliamentary elections on April 9. The party is strongest in areas with large majorities of ethnic Acehnese, including the belt running south and east from Pidie Jaya to East Aceh district, and in west coast districts including Aceh Jaya, Aceh Barat Daya and West Aceh - precisely the areas where so-called "independent" candidates affiliated with the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) polled well in the 2006 and subsequent local government elections. ¶5. (SBU) During the final days of the campaign period, PA ralliesr"esembled victory parades as supporters by the thossands marched through the streets in cities along the east and west coasts. No other party drew ee n a fraction of those drawn to PA's rallies. Fe even tried. The Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) ws" the notable exception. Its rallies in Bireuenaand Lhokseumawe attracted between 2,000 to 3,000. After a series of massive PA campaigns around theQ province, however, most parties cancelled public rallies. Even Golkar with its solid party structure cut back, reputedly to avoid appearing weak compared with PA. By the end of the campaign period, virtually all parties other than PA eschewed large events and focused instead on smaller, closed dialogues with supporters. COUNTING DELAYS EXPECTED -------------- ¶6. (SBU) Throughout Aceh, election and party officials boasted nervously that Indonesia has the most complex voting system in the world. Not only is the system complex, but voting and counting is a time consuming process that many observers and poll workers expect to extend well into the evening and, in some cases, into the next day. In addition, observers are also concerned that poll workers have not been adequately trained to use the new 8-page tabulation forms unveiled for this election. Confusion and delays are expected. CAMPAIGN VIOLATIONS -------------- ¶7. (SBU) By all accounts, PA supporters committed widespread campaign violations, particularly along the east coast. Violations included threats, intimidation, assaults, and destruction of rival parties' campaign materials. In Pidie Jaya, for example, a popular candidate told Medan that due to pressure from PA members, he was unable to hang his own poster in front of his house. In neighboring Pidie district, PKS members grew tired of PA supporters' constant intimidation and destruction of their banners and posters, and protested by demonstrating in front of PA's local office. PA members surrounded the group and forced them to strip. The situation in this district became so serious that when the local police gathered all parties to sign a commitment to conduct a clean campaign, only PA and one other party agreed to do so; the others refused, calling the effort an empty gesture. Elsewhere in Aceh, party leaders from GOLKAR, PKS, the United Development Party (PPP) and other national parties told Medan that the combined effects of the violations in several key districts made it impossible to run meaningful campaigns and some local party leaders there said they felt so threatened that they no longer slept at home to avoid possible attacks. Outside PA's strongholds, incidents like these were much less common but still occurred. In remote Gayo Luwes where PA is relatively weak the district chief of a national party filed a formal complaint that JAKARTA 00000645 002 OF 003 PA cadres had threatened to kill her if she did not drop out of the election. ¶8. (SBU) Local parties also complained of intense harassment. Because many PA supporters consider other local parties to be illegitimate, they harassed officials and supporters alike. Several local parties told Medan that because of pervasive intimidation their poll watchers resigned en masse. Due to what it described as constant and widespread intimidation by PA, SIRA established a province-wide hotline for party officials to phone in complaints. Representatives of the Aceh People's Party (PRA) told Medan that PA supporters painted anti-PRA/pro-PA messages in places where rallies were scheduled. Both SIRA and PRA complained that PA members physically assaulted their candidates in many districts. ¶9. (SBU) PA leaders, on the other hand, complained that it was the victim of unfair campaign tactics. Around the province PA leaders told observers that its flags and posters were taken down or defaced as quickly as they could be put up. In remote Subulussalam, for example, PA had to post 24 hours guards to prevent its largest flags and banners from being destroyed - despite their being located directly in front of the party leader's house. Party chair Muzakir Manaf called Medan on April 1 to report that in districts across the province, the police and military were singling their vehicles and convoys out for time consuming searches. Governor Irwandi Yusuf also told Medan that the military commanders in the districts of Gayo Luwes, Southwest Aceh, Similue, Singkil, and elsewhere organized soccer competitions to coincide with dates of PA's campaigns to reduce the number of potential attendees. In these and other districts, local government officials interfered with the party's campaign by instructing residents to participate in public works projects. The most serious complaints by PA were that it was targeted by groups who distributed highly offensive anti-PA flyers and that military officials went door to door warning inhabitants of pro-PA villages to reject separatism. ¶10. (SBU) In the months leading up to the election, PA facilities and homes were targeted in a string of arson and grenade attacks. The attacks occurred widely throughout the province - even in areas where PA was particularly weak. These attacks had a chilling effect in some areas. After a grenade was tossed into a PA leader's shop and several supporters were beaten in Bener Meriah, Party leaders there ceased public campaigns and stopped sleeping in their own homes to protect themselves from attacks. PA leaders and some observers believed that elements of the military were responsible for the grenade and arson attacks. Our sources claim that some military personnel implicated in the attacks have been arrested, an allegation which we have not been able to substantiate. ¶11. (SBU) All around the province, PA leaders reported numerous cases of intimidation and threats. In several districts PA complained that fully armed members of the military told locals that anyone who attended "GAM rallies" would face consequences. According to a respected human rights NGO, a radio station in Lhokseumawe has broadcast anti-PA statements and that ex-militia working with TNI are making statements in the press against voting for "separatist parties". A senior political leader in West Aceh told Medan that members of the military with video cameras have gone house to house in pro-PA villages to intimidate people against voting for PA. Elsewhere, there are numerous reports of people dressed in black wandering around at night, threatening people thought to be PA supporters. ¶12. (SBU) In the face of open and widespread campaign abuses, PANWASLU - the government agency charged with enforcing campaign regulations - has been an abject failure. Virtually all political parties, the police and military have complained to mission election observers about PANWASLU's ineffectiveness. In several districts PANWASLU officials denied having received any actionable complaints, others reported receiving only a handful. One frustrated police chief told Medan that his men had attempted to report a serious violation to PANWASLU and had even offered to be witnesses and presented electronic evidence of the violation. The report, he said, went nowhere. Several observers told Medan that they believe that unethical political parties had seen PANWASLU's ineffectiveness and had chosen to flout campaign regulations. ¶13. (SBU) PANWASLU's defenders point out that the organization is understaffed and underfunded. The current election law is also partly to blame. Not only does the law establish onerous reporting and evidentiary requirements to establish possible violations, but unlike the previous law, did not authorize police and prosecutor's office to have formal positions in the organization. This limits the JAKARTA 00000645 003 OF 003 organization's ability to investigate and prosecute violations as well as withstand intimidation. ¶14. (SBU) In contrast with PANWASLU's weak performance, the police, some senior local officials, and party leaders have taken proactive steps to ensure that the election comes off peacefully. On instruction from the provincial police chief, local police have organized ongoing forums which bringing together party representatives for dialogue. In several regencies, the local government has also issued statements reminding residents against responding to provocations and to elect qualified candidates. To avoid escalating tensions and violence, top PA leaders have instructed members to avoid conflict. As a result, most Acehnese believe that the election will come off peacefully and that the result will eventually be accepted. Some local government and security officials anticipate that there may be local outbreaks of violence such as those which occurred in the 2006 elections, but none believe that they will spread or significantly disrupt the election. HEFFERN