VZCZCXRO5536
RR RUEHCHI RUEHCN RUEHDT RUEHHM
DE RUEHJS #0007/01 0180129
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 180129Z JAN 08
FM AMCONSUL SURABAYA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0141
RUEHJA/AMEMBASSY JAKARTA 0127
INFO RUEHZS/ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 0065
RUEHWL/AMEMBASSY WELLINGTON 0063
RHHMUNA/HQ USPACOM HONOLULU HI
RUEHJS/AMCONSUL SURABAYA 0144

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 SURABAYA 000007 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR EAP/MTS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL EAID ID
SUBJECT: SOUTH SULAWESI: DEMONSTRATIONS CONTINUE IN ADVANCE OF 
EXPECTED JANUARY 19 CARETAKER GOVERNOR APPOINTMENT 
 
REF: SURABAYA 91 AND PREVIOUS 
 
SURABAYA 00000007  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
Portions of this Message are Sensitive But Unclassified.  Please 
Protect Accordingly. 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary: Daily protests against the Supreme Court's 
December decision requesting gubernatorial elections be re-run 
in four South Sulawesi regencies turned violent January 16 when 
supporters of declared victor Syahrul Yasin Limpo entered the 
governor's office.  The local election commission chairman and 
provincial police chief predicted that January 19, when the 
central government is expected to name a caretaker governor, 
would be a peak day of protests.  Local election officials 
maintain that the court has no authority to decide who won the 
election.  Local observers believe that protests will continue 
until the judicial review of the Supreme Court's decision is 
completed.  They expressed concern that the protests could begin 
to break down along ethnic lines. Vice President and South 
Sulawesi native Jusuf Kalla asked both parties to avoid 
violence. End Summary. 
 
Peaceful Protests Get Ugly 
-------------------------------- 
 
¶2. (U) Protestors continue to stage daily demonstrations in the 
provincial capital of Makassar against the Supreme Court's 
December 19 decision to ask the South Sulawesi election 
commission (KPUD) to hold re-elections for governor in four 
regencies (reftel).  On Monday, January 14, according to press 
reports, supporters of the declared victors, Syahrul Yasin Limpo 
and Agus Nu'mang, occupied the local parliamentary offices for 
six hours and blockaded the main road running in front of local 
government offices.  On Wednesday, July 16, according to press 
reports, thousands of people demonstrated in front of the 
governor's office to demand that the Minister of Home Affairs 
install the governor-elect Syahrul Yasin Limpo.  Demonstrators 
eventually broke down the front door of the governor's office. 
A second demonstration was held in front of the local parliament 
building the same day. 
 
Judges "Didn't Know Any Better" 
--------------------------------------- 
 
¶3. (SBU) On December 17, during a meeting with Surabaya Pol-Econ 
Officer, KPUD chairman Andi Mappinawang criticized the Supreme 
Court's decision, stating that the court has no standing to 
decide who won the election and had overstepped its authority. 
Mappinawang noted that the court make its decision strictly on 
the basis of witness statements, without reviewing any voting 
data or statistical evidence.  He added that the five judges had 
no experience with election law and thus "didn't know any 
better."  Mappinawang added that the court did not annul the 
election results, which meant that the declared winners, Syahrul 
Yasin Limpo and Agus Nu'mang, were the rightful governor and 
vice governor respectively of South Sulawesi.  Supriansyah, 
Director of Makassar Intellectual Law, told the Consulate 
January 17 that protests will likely continue until the judicial 
review of the Supreme Court's decision is completed.  That 
review process is expected to take three months. 
 
¶4.  (SBU) Mappinawang called the Minister of Home Affairs 
intention to install a caretaker governor on January 19 a 
terrible idea -- "why have an election if you don't want to 
abide by the results?"  He added that it set a bad precedent to 
overturn an election because of disagreements over a close 
victory.  Mappinawang suggested that installation of a caretaker 
government would heighten local anger over what is perceived as 
Jakarta's interference in local politics.  Whatever happens on 
January 19, Mappinawang predicted, would cause a great deal of 
unhappiness and likely spark increasingly violent 
demonstrations.  According to press reports, the provincial 
police chief (Kapolda) expects "a peak of demonstrations" on 
Saturday. 
 
Jakarta's Interference 
------------------------- 
 
¶5. (SBU) Sukriansyah, the Chief Editor of the local newspaper 
Fajar Daily, told visiting Pol-Econ Officer January 17 that the 
demonstrators were not paid participants but rather truly 
committed supporters who were angry with the court's 
interference.  The most energetic protestors were coming to 
Makassar from the contested regencies, but were joined by local 
residents and demonstrators from other areas.  Legal advocate 
Supriansyah told the Consulate that supporters of defeated 
incumbent Amin Syam had yet to stage similar protests.  He 
 
SURABAYA 00000007  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
predicted, however, that the two groups would most likely 
confront each other "face to face" in the eastern part of South 
Sulawesi and in the regencies of Bantaeng and Tana Toraja. 
 
Jusuf Kalla's Role 
--------------------- 
 
¶6. (SBU) While Fajar's Sukriansyah said that it appeared that 
Vice President Jusuf Kalla was trying to keep his distance from 
the ongoing dispute, Mappinawang was less convinced. 
Mappinawang observed that it was difficult for the local 
population to believe that Kalla was not trying to exert 
influence to ensure that Golkar's candidate Amin Syam and 
Kalla's brother-in-law Mansur Ramly were declared the winners in 
his home province.  Legal advocate Supriansyah said that Kalla 
had met with both Amin Syam and Yasin Limpo and urged them to 
obey the law.  Both had reportedly promised to avoid violence. 
Supriansyah expressed concern that the protests which destroyed 
the governor's office door signaled that Yasin Limpo's 
supporters were willing to use violence to put pressure on the 
government and the courts. 
 
¶7. (SBU) Supriansyah emphasized that local observers were 
concerned that protests could eventually split along ethnic 
lines and create a more dangerous situation.  Amin Syam's 
campaign, for example, highlighted his "real" Bugis identity, 
while Yasin Limpo is a "Bugis-Makassar" man.  Mappinawang noted 
that support for the candidates cut across ethnic lines and 
demonstrations to date had not rallied around ethnicity.  He 
acknowledged, however, that an unanticipated event could trigger 
ethnic divisions. 
 
Appointing a Caretaker 
-------------------------- 
 
¶8. (SBU) Tribun Timur Makassar reported January 17 that Vice 
President Jusuf Kalla had confirmed that the central government 
would install a caretaker in South Sulawesi.  The government is 
reportedly considering two senior government officials -- 
Director General of the Politics and National Unit Dr. Sudarsono 
Hardjosoekarto and Seman Widjojo, the Inspector General of the 
Department of Home Affairs -- for the position.  The Spokesman 
for the Department of Home Affairs reportedly refused to 
comment.  Makassar is abuzz with rumors that the government will 
appoint a former military official as caretaker. 
MCCLELLAND