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FM AMEMBASSY JAKARTA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 2437
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RUEHWL/AMEMBASSY WELLINGTON IMMEDIATE 1206
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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 JAKARTA 013462 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR OPERATIONS CENTER, EAP/MTS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREL EAID KDEM KPAO ID
SUBJECT: ACEH HOLDS FREE AND FAIR ELECTIONS, THE FIRST 
SINCE HELSINKI MOU 
 
¶1. Summary:  The U.S. Mission in Indonesia fielded a team of 
40 U.S. officials and local support staff to monitor the 
gubernatorial and district administrative elections in the 
Indonesian province of Aceh on December 11.  Embassy's press 
release, below, provides our endorsement of the election 
process, an assessment which is shared by domestic monitoring 
groups and other foreign observer delegations. Scattered 
problems, primarily with registration, do not appear to have 
been extensive enough to affect the outcome of the election. 
Counting is still under way, but early indications are that 
former GAM leader Irwandi Yusuf appears to have taken the 
lead and may have enough votes to win without a second round. 
 End Summary. 
 
¶2. U.S. ELECTION OBSERVATION TEAM STATEMENT 
ON GUBERNATORIAL ELECTIONS ON DECEMBER 11, 2006 
IN ACEH PROVINCE, INDONESIA 
 
The United States Embassy congratulates the people of Aceh 
for their historic exercise of democracy on December 11, 
which proceeded in a largely free, fair and peaceful manner 
in areas observed by the U.S. election observation team. 
This first truly democratic election in Aceh in half a 
century is an important step in the transition from conflict 
to peace, stability and self-governance within Aceh.  It 
builds upon the Helsinki Memorandum of Understanding of 
August 2006 and the Law on the Governance of Aceh of July 
¶2006.  The people of Aceh and the people of Indonesia as a 
whole can rightly take pride in this achievement. 
 
The U.S. team, which consisted of 40 persons accredited by 
the Indonesian Department of Foreign Affairs and the Aceh 
Electoral Commission (KIP), observed gubernatorial and 
district administrative elections.  The observers deployed to 
the capital of Banda Aceh and 13 of the 19 contested 
districts on December 9, met with local officials on December 
10 and witnessed voting and counting at polling stations on 
December 11.  Ambassador B. Lynn Pascoe said these historic 
elections in Aceh "demonstrated the strong commitment of the 
people of Indonesia to democratic values and principles." 
 
The U.S. team found the election environment and voting 
process generally free of intimidation and manipulation. 
Although confusion about registration and proper 
identification prevented some persons from voting at some 
polling stations, voting and counting proceeded without 
significant disruption or restriction on voter access to 
polls.  The United States will share more detailed findings 
with the KIP. 
 
The U.S. team noted the tremendous enthusiasm and support 
from the people of Aceh for the elections.  Other important 
elements in the voting process included the commitment of the 
Provincial Government of Aceh, the leadership of the KIP, the 
diligence of the many domestic monitors, including the 
People's Voter Education Network, the NGO Forum, the E-card 
Community/Jurdil and the Independent Election Observer 
Committee, as well as the presence of the European Union and 
other international observers. 
 
END U.S. EMBASSY JAKARTA PRESS STATEMENT 
 
LOCAL MONITORING GROUPS GIVE ELECTION PROCESS THUMBS UP 
 
¶3. The people's Voter Education Network (JPPR), a national 
NGO which ran the largest monitoring operation this election, 
observed 121 subdistricts in all of Aceh's districts.  JPPR 
described the election as "smooth but with some 
irregularities" and noted that overall, the elections were 
"safe and peaceful."  Nevertheless, they detailed numerous 
shortcomings based on lack of administrative preparation. 
They singled out incomplete voter lists as the most 
problematic element. 
 
¶4. Jurdil Aceh, a local NGO supported in part by U.S. 
assistance, said people were able to vote freely and 
confidentiality of votes compared favorably with previous 
 
SIPDIS 
elections.  Jurdil hailed the elections as "a new process for 
Aceh" but noted the democratic framework was not yet 
complete.  There were several incidents of intimidation and 
other technical irregularities and two cases where Jurdil 
monitors were detailed by the police and prevented from 
conducting their duties as observers.  Jurdil praised the 
 
JAKARTA 00013462  002 OF 002 
 
 
Indonesian police as a whole, as well as the military (TNI), 
for "having kept their word" by not interfering in the 
election. 
 
¶5. The NGO Forum described election conditions in the 
province as "smooth, safe and conducive" and said there were 
no major incidents during the voting process.  The 
organization judged the conduct of the election to be "much 
better" than anticipated. 
 
¶6. The International Republican Institute (IRI) fielded a 
small observer mission.  IRI's country representative told us 
their observers encountered the same kinds of procedural 
flaws reported by other missions but were "pleasantly 
surprised" to witness several cases where election officials 
used common sense, within the scope of the election 
regulations, to diffuse potential problems. The only 
significant problem encountered was at one polling station 
where tensions escalated when approximately 400 GAM 
sympathizers were denied ballots for improper identification. 
 
¶7. According to the police, three polling stations had to 
close because of disruption by groups who had been denied 
poll access for lack of registration or documentation.  The 
head of the Aceh Electoral Commission (KIP) acknowledged 
these incidents but pointed out this affected only three of 
over 8,000 stations throughout the province. 
 
¶8. Several Acehnese contacts, including senior election 
officials, emphasized this election could not be compared 
with previous elections in Aceh and was Aceh's first truly 
democratic election.  In 2004, they asserted, the vast 
majority of voters felt pressured to vote by the military, 
which controlled the province under martial law.  Voters who 
could not show a "purple finger" were harassed, and voters 
often chose to spoil their ballots rather than cast a vote 
for candidates backed by the military. 
 
MAIN PROBLEM IS REGISTRATION AND IDENTIFICATION 
 
¶9. Members of the official U.S. observation team observed 
high turnout at polling stations throughout the province and 
received good support from local officials.  Rain in 
southeastern and central Aceh delayed polling station opening 
but voters appear to have been able to reach the polls before 
they closed. 
 
¶10.  By all accounts, the single biggest problem was voter 
registration.  Difficulties had been expected and publicized, 
but the extent of the problem turned out to be greater than 
anticipated.  Nevertheless, it does not appear to have been 
significant enough to affect the outcome of the election. 
KIP was unable to distribute registration cards to as many as 
ten percent of voters prior to the election.  To compensate, 
KIP instructed local officials at the last minute to check 
registration lists and send letters of invitation to voters 
in their district.  These invitations were to be used as 
proof of eligibility.  Because not all of these invitations 
could be delivered in time, KIP also authorized local 
officials to permit persons whose names appeared on 
registration lists to vote if they could prove their 
identity.  Several U.S. observers witnessed polling stations 
lacking voter registration lists.  Others found stations 
which failed to check registration cards against voter 
registration lists to determine eligibility.  Local 
monitoring groups similarly reported that affected voters 
were not uniformly successful in obtaining access on this 
basis.  Most of these cases appear to have involved small 
groups of people, usually less than 100.  Some monitors in 
Aceh Jaya reported as much as 30 percent of registered voters 
were unable to vote because of this.  In Bireuen and Pidie 
districts local monitors reported persons being absent from 
voter registration lists without explanation. 
PASCOE