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RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RHHJJPI/USPACOM HONOLULU HI

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 JAKARTA 013379 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/30/2016 
TAGS: PGOV PINR PREL KDEM KISL ID
SUBJECT: THE WORLD ACCORDING TO GUS DUR 
 
REF: A. JAKARTA 13303 (NU CONSERVATISM) 
 
     ¶B. JAKARTA 13304 (PKB SPLIT) 
     ¶C. JAKARTA 11376 (JAKARTA GOVERNOR'S RACE) 
 
JAKARTA 00013379  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
Classified By: Ambassador B. Lynn Pascoe, reason: 1.4 (d). 
 
SUMMARY 
-------- 
 
¶1. (C) During a November 30 meeting with the Ambassador, an 
uncharacteristically reserved former President Abdurrachman 
Wahid (aka Gus Dur) gave his views on U.S.-Indonesia 
relations and President Bush's visit, Indonesia's economic 
shortcomings, and developments within Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) 
and the National Awakening Party (PKB).  Wahid was unsparing 
in his criticism of President Yudhoyono, but generally 
optimistic about the overall direction of the country.  He 
appeared to be in relatively good health and answered 
questions clearly and in a measured, statesmanlike fashion. 
End Summary. 
 
U.S. INDONESIAN RELATIONS 
------------------------- 
 
¶2. (C) Gus Dur characterized President Bush's November 20 
visit as a success, telling the Ambassador he believed 
U.S.-Indonesian relations were generally healthy.  The former 
President noted the protests by several Islamic movements in 
the lead-up to the visit and expressed satisfaction with the 
fact that the visit unfolded as planned despite the best 
efforts by some to obstruct it.  He felt, however, that the 
visit did not help SBY politically as Yudhoyono failed to 
articulate to the Indonesian people how the visit would 
benefit them. 
 
FAILING GRADES FOR SBY ON ECONOMY 
--------------------------------- 
 
¶4. (C) Gus Dur sharply criticized SBY's stewardship of the 
economy, decrying a lack of urgency in implementing much 
needed reform and condemning what he saw as an overall lack 
of consistency in his approach to the economy.  Noting SBY's 
heavy overseas travel schedule, Gus Dur questioned his 
priorities as President and asked rhetorically "how can he 
justify all these trips abroad (given conditions at home)?" 
(Note:  We point out the irony of this argument coming from a 
former President that was routinely criticized for his 
overseas travel.  End Note) 
 
¶5. (C) Wahid also took SBY to task for what he said was SBY's 
myopic focus on the "growth approach" to the economy.  This 
excessive emphasis on growth was damaging and needed to be 
balanced by a parallel focus on distribution.  After the 
Ambassador pointed out that both growth and distribution were 
hampered by the ruinous forces of corruption, Gus Dur agreed 
that comprehensive economic reform would not be possible 
without first tackling corruption. 
 
¶6. (C) When the Ambassador noted the success of regional 
economies such as Vietnam in attracting investment and 
expressed hope that Indonesia would soon follow suit, Gus Dur 
lamented the double edged sword of the global economy.  He 
conceded global forces were here to stay and acknowledged the 
obvious benefits of globalization, but argued that Indonesia 
would need to pursue a form of "modified capitalism."  Global 
economic forces surely could be harnessed to Indonesia's 
benefit, he agreed, but other unintended byproducts of 
globalization such as Islamic radicalism and unhealthy 
nationalism would also have to be managed. 
 
SBY'S LACK OF LEADERSHIP 
------------------------ 
 
¶7. (C) The former President lamented the government's lack of 
direction and focus, arguing that SBY's failure to reign in a 
bloated and inefficient bureaucracy was emblematic of his 
inability to chart a course and stick to it.  Contrasting 
SBY's first two years with Megawati's tenure, Gus Dur argued 
that despite all of her failings as President, Megawati at 
least knew how to follow through on a policy decision.  An 
even more significant indictment of SBY's leadership, Gus Dur 
argued, was the mostly incompetent cabinet he had assembled. 
How could anyone respect the leadership of a President that 
had tapped Yusril Mahendra as State Secretary and turned a 
blind eye to the rampant corruption in Sugiharto's Ministry 
 
JAKARTA 00013379  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
for State Enterprises? 
 
NU IS DRIFTING 
-------------- 
 
¶8. (C) When the Ambassador solicited Gus Dur's views on signs 
of increasing conservatism in NU (Ref A), Wahid was 
economical with his words.  He characterized NU as 
"drifting," but commented that "all organizations are 
corrupt," and expressed optimism about being able to pursue 
his agenda in NU.  He dismissed the "big name" conservative 
forces within the organization as irrelevant and said that 
ultimately the village kias, or traditional clerics, 
understood what was best for NU and Islam; they would assert 
their moderating influence accordingly. 
 
PKS JUST AS CORRUPT 
------------------- 
 
¶9. (C) Wahid was only slightly more expansive on the subject 
of the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS).  Gus Dur pointed to 
the party's nomination of Adang Daradjutan (Ref C) as its 
candidate for Governor of Jakarta as evidence of the fact 
that PKS was becoming just as corrupt as any other political 
party.  He questioned how a party allegedly rooted in the 
idea of clean governance and Islamic morality could survive 
if it was willing to associate itself with a character as 
morally shaky and "un-Islamic" as Adang.  The party was 
losing its way morally though Gus Dur was quick to add that 
Hidayat Nur Wahid, the Chairman of the People's Consultative 
Assembly (MPR) and a former President of PKS, was a "good 
man." 
 
WAHID STILL ACTIVE IN PKB 
------------------------- 
 
¶10. (C) Wahid declined to discuss the much publicized split 
within PKB (Ref B) or the overall state of his party's 
health.  He offered instead that he was still extremely 
active in PKB party politics and that dialogue within the 
party was egalitarian in nature.  Wahid explained that in the 
course of leadership meetings he always went to great lengths 
to entertain and respect dissenting voices.  In the event a 
colleague disagreed with one of his opinions, he would always 
ensure the issue was put to a vote.  If his idea was defeated 
- which he said was sometimes the case - he always respected 
and endorsed the majority decision. 
 
COMMENT 
------- 
 
¶11. (C) Gus Dur looked healthier than at any time in recent 
memory.  The former President clearly had little interest in 
discussing developments in PKB or NU in substantive fashion, 
but he did not hesitate to criticize the President.  The 
former President was not in a particularly expansive mood, 
but he nevertheless seems convinced that the forces of 
religious conservatism are losing their momentum. 
PASCOE