INDONESIAN LEGISLATIVE ELECTIONS FREE AND FAIR

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 JAKARTA 000664 SIPDIS DEPT FOR EAP, EAP/MTS, EAP/MLS, EAP/RSP; NSC FOR E.PHU E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV KDEM ID SUBJECT: INDONESIAN LEGISLATIVE ELECTIONS FREE AND FAIR DESPITE LOGISTICAL FLAWS REF: JAKARTA 00658 AND PREVIOUS ¶1. (U) This message was coordinated with Consuls General Surabaya and Medan. It is Sensitive but Unclassified. Please handle accordingly. ¶2. (SBU) SUMMARY: Observers are calling Indonesia's third democratic legislative elections free and fair despite limited logistical difficulties, several days after the April 9 balloting. People are getting information quickly about the results via quick counts and have accepted the projected win of President Yudhoyono's Partai Demokrat (PD). However, due to ballot mishaps, the Elections Commission (KPU) will likely hold "re-votes" in some districts. Although faulty voter lists apparently disenfranchised thousands of voters, this is not expected to significantly influence the election outcome. Several NGOs are calling for removal of KPU members to ensure a smoother preparation for the July 8 presidential election. END SUMMARY. FREE AND FAIR ¶3. (SBU) Most observers agreed that the April 9 national legislative elections seemed to be largely free and fair. Mission, international and NGO observers found that, with few exceptions, polling station officials allowed them to observe the voting and counting process. In an April 13 press statement, the Carter Center congratulated Indonesia on its "generally peaceful elections" and noted that the KPU is collecting and scanning poll station results which hopefully will be made public. Legal channels for election-related complaints are also in place and being used. (Note: The Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) is challenging the local Aceh Party's win, alleging they "cheated" -- but admitted that Aceh Party would have won even without cheating.) ¶4. (SBU) The vast majority of elections irregularities are logistical rather than malfeasance. Many problems stem from a newly-appointed KPU with little experience, problems at the local level such as local governments cutting costs, and lack of advance practice in voting simulations and testing of equipment. ¶5. (SBU) The people seem confident in the veracity of the quick count results. Official KPU results so far have been similar, putting PD ahead at over 20% with only a small portion of the votes counted, followed by Golkar and Indonesian Party of Struggle (PDI-P),tied for second place. 
Islamic parties came next, led by PKS. As of Sunday night, only 3 million of the 171 million had been tabulated; official results will continue to trickle in throughout the month. LOGISTICAL PROBLEMS ¶6. (SBU) The administration of this election was a vast undertaking--this was Indonesia's largest centrally administered single day election. In the run-up to the election, the Government of Indonesia (GOI) issued new regulations changing the KPU's roles and powers, tying its funding and data source to the Ministry of Home Affairs. These and other new regulations complicated the administration process. The voters list was a major source of contention, with many remaining off the list despite attempts to register. Thousands of voters did not get their invitation letters to vote and were thus disenfranchised. There were also reports that underage or deceased voter names remained on the list, opening up the possibilities for further allegations of fraud (see reftels). RE-RUNS OF THE ELECTIONS ¶7. (SBU) The Elections Supervisory Board (Bawaslu) announced that they will hold 245 "re-runs" in ten provinces. Some were called due to simple errors--ballots were distributed to the wrong areas, so voters could only choose parties, not candidates. Others were due to violations, as in one village polling station in East Java where pre-marked ballots were discovered. The KPU and GOI have been responsive to requests for re-runs in these cases. LEGAL CHALLENGES ¶8. (SBU) Some voters, the media and civil society have complained about the logistical complications. NGOs such as the Center for Electoral Forum (CETRO) are urging disgruntled voters to exercise their democratic rights to complain. The JAKARTA 00000664 002 OF 002 hitch is that those wishing to file legal elections-related complaints must do so within 14 days of the elections, and courts must rule on them within 21 days. ¶9. (SBU) NGOs demanded a better resolution of logistical issues so that the presidential election will go more smoothly. CETRO attributed the lower voter turnout in 2009 to poor electoral management (Note: Experts agree turnout is lower than in 2004 but there is no official figure yet.). Other NGOs, such as the Indonesian Civil Society Circle and Research Institute of Democracy and the Welfare State, called on President Yudhoyono to dismiss the KPU members. Although there is some cause for concern, the fact that the GOI is taking these complaints seriously and that legal channels exist is a good sign for Indonesian democracy. No one is taking to the streets to protest and the Indonesian electorate appears to have accepted the elections as free and fair. HUME