PRESIDENT YUDHOYONO CONSOLIDATES SUPPORT

C O N F I D E N T I A L JAKARTA 000744

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR EAP, EAP/MTS, EAP/MLS, EAP/RSP
NSC FOR E. PHU

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/29/2019
TAGS: PGOV PDEM ID
SUBJECT: PRESIDENT YUDHOYONO CONSOLIDATES SUPPORT

REF: JAKARTA 724 AND PREVIOUS

Classified By: Pol/C Joseph L. Novak, reasons 1.4(b+d)


1. (C) SUMMARY: On April 26, President Yudhoyono officially
accepted the nomination of his party, Partai Demokrat (PD),
to seek a second-term. Since the April 9 parliamentary
election, Yudhoyono and PD have been consolidating support
from smaller parties. Should all this support pan out, the
PD coalition would be in excellent position heading into the
July presidential election. Yudhoyono also announced that he
was carefully weighing his options for the vice-presidential
slot, assuring his supporters that he will name his running
mate by May 10. END SUMMARY.

PARTAI DEMOKRAT ENDORSES PRESIDENT YUDHOYONO


2. (U) In a pro forma move, PD officially chose President
Yudhoyono as its candidate to run for a second term as
president in an April 26 Leaders Meeting held in Jakarta. PD
members also gave Yudhoyono the mandate to choose his running
mate (see more below). In accepting his party's nomination
for the July election, Yudhoyono stated that he "would strive
to fulfill the trust and continue to work to improve the
situation of the Indonesian people."

CONSOLIDATING SUPPORT FROM SMALLER PARTIES


3. (SBU) Since the April 9 parliamentary election, President
Yudhoyono and PD have been consolidating support. Yudhoyono
has secured the support of 14 minor parties, comprising a
combined 12.5 percent of the vote in the recent parliamentary
elections (this is in addition to the over 20 percent of
support that PD won in the election while finishing first in
the race).


4. (SBU) The National Mandate Party (PAN) and Prosperous
Justice Party (PKS) both announced over the weekend that they
want to team up with PD and offered Yudhoyono a list of VP
candidates from their respective parties from which he is
free to choose. This support, plus that of the National
Awakening Party (PKB),which has already aligned with PD,
would raise Yudhoyono's support to almost 53 percent of all
voters in the recent parliamentary election, an extremely
impressive figure. Yudhoyono has yet to formalize the
coalition with PKS and PAN, although he is expected to do so
soon.

YUDHOYONO TO CONSIDER VP SLOT


5. (C) Indonesia is abuzz with rumors and reports regarding
who Yudhoyono might choose as his running mate. In public
comments, Yudhoyono said his running mate must "possess
integrity, capability, loyalty, public support, and the
ability to strengthen his ruling coalition." PD leaders said
they are considering 19 VP candidates. Yudhoyono said he
would announce his running mate before the May 10 deadline to
register candidates for the presidential election.


6. (C) As reviewed in reftels, Yudhoyono is said to be
seriously considering as running mate current State Secretary
and former PAN Chair Hatta Rajasa, a competent minister who
Yudhoyono trusts. Another contender is Coordinating Minister
for Economic Affairs and Finance Sri Mulyani Indrawati, a
technocrat with no real party affiliation who has earned
respect for helping Indonesia to weather the financial crisis
and for clamping down on corruption. Also in the running is
Golkar's Akbar Tanjung, who is leading a breakaway effort
from VP Jusuf Kalla's Golkar faction--which is currently
seeking to form an opposition coalition. Hidayat Nur Wahid
of PKS is also under consideration but is a long shot.
(Note: Per reftels, Yudhoyono and PD have basically ruled
out sharing the ticket again with Jusuf Kalla, the current VP
and chair of the Golkar party.)

HUME