VZCZCXRO0979
RR RUEHCHI RUEHCN RUEHDT RUEHHM
DE RUEHJS #0094/01 2140813
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 010813Z AUG 08
FM AMCONSUL SURABAYA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0268
RUEHJA/AMEMBASSY JAKARTA 0254
INFO RUEHZS/ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS
RHHMUNA/HQ USPACOM HONOLULU HI
RUEHWL/AMEMBASSY WELLINGTON 0141
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 0141
RUEHJS/AMCONSUL SURABAYA 0273

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 SURABAYA 000094 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR EAP/MTS, INR/EAP, DRL, EAP/PD 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV KWMN KDEM SOCI KISL PREL ID
SUBJECT: EAST JAVA: THE TANGLED WEB SURROUNDING THE SOLE FEMALE 
GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE 
 
REF: A. SURABAYA 88 (EAST JAVA GOVERNOR'S ELECTION) 
     ¶B. SURBAYA 51 (POLITICS IN EAST JAVA'S LARGEST MUSLIM ORGANIZATION) 
 
SURABAYA 00000094  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
This message is sensitive but unclassified.  Please protect 
accordingly. 
 
¶1.  (SBU)  SUMMARY: East Java's female candidate for governor, 
Khofifah Indar Parawansa, succeeded in reaching the second round 
of the election, but faces strong criticism from women's issues 
activists in Surabaya.   While her critics acknowledge that the 
Muslim organization Nahdlatul Ulama's (NU) willingness to 
support a female candidate opens doors, they express concern 
about Khofifah's money-driven ties to the Patriot Party and 
Pancasila Youth (Pemuda Pancasila) and her commitment to 
advancing women's issues as governor.  While the women's NGO 
network Forum Perempuan Peduli (FPP) previously pledged to 
support her candidacy, many changed their minds before the 
election.  Most predict that her opponent, Soekarwo supported by 
the National Mandate Party (PAN), Democratic Party (PD) and The 
Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), will win the run-off because of 
his reputation for transparency.  End Summary. 
 
BEHIND KHOFIFAH'S SUCCESS 
 
¶2.  (SBU) During a regular lunch event on July 29 at the Consul 
General's residence, women's issues activists in Surabaya 
offered their perspective on the success of Khofifah Indar 
Parawansa in the July 23 gubernatorial election (ref A). 
Khofifah, the national chairwoman of Muslimat (the Nahdlatul 
Ulama women's organization) and Minister for Women's Empowerment 
in the Gus Dur administration, had not been endorsed by Gus 
Dur's divided National Awakening Party (PKB).  Khofifah amassed 
the necessary 15% through the support of a coalition of 12 
smaller parties, led by the United Development Party (PPP). 
The activists emphasized that Khofifah's success signaled an 
important change amongst East Java's traditionally conservative 
electorate in the NU heartland.  They noted that in 2004, NU 
members would not accept a woman as a political leader.   Indeed 
PPP, with substantial NU membership, had distributed a letter 
that specifically prohibited supporting female candidates.  In 
this election, NU Chairman Hasyim Muzaidi pledged his support 
and the influential NU clerics, Kiais, instructed NU members to 
support Khofifah.   The luncheon guests praised the positive 
impact of Khofifah's success thus far on the attitudes of 
students at East Java's Islamic schools (pesantrens) in 
particular. 
 
¶3.  (SBU) The women's activist community speculated that many 
voted for Khofifah because she represented a new face in East 
Java politics.  Despite spending more than any other candidate, 
Golkar's Soenarjo, who served as vice governor for the past 10 
years, placed a disappointing fourth.   The PKB candidate 
hand-picked by Gus Dur garnered less than 10% and finished a 
distant fifth.  The activists expressed concern, however, that 
in reality Khofifah is entrenched in old money politics. 
Khofifah clearly benefited from the unified support of Muslimat 
members and rewarded them accordingly.   According to press 
reports, Khofifah's campaign team gave a car to each Muslimat 
branch in East Java before the first round, and intends to give 
a car to each of the 44 branches of NU before the runoff. 
(Note: Because the cars were given to organizations rather than 
to individuals, these "donations" are not considered in 
violation of campaign rules.) 
 
WHO'S FINANCING KHOFIFAH AND WHY? 
 
¶4.  (SBU) Because Khofifah lacked the support of any major 
parties, she needed the financial backing of the Patriot Party. 
Led by Yapto Suryosumarno, the Patriot Party has a reputation as 
a corrupt party of gangsters, or "preman", with links to 
national business interests and the Suharto regime.  Tomy 
Winata, the wealthy businessman and owner of Artha Graha Bank 
who has been questioned on allegations of corruption, reportedly 
plays an important financing role.  Yapto is also the chairman 
of Pemuda Pancasila, an organization known for attacking 
political opponents and instigating violence on behalf of 
Suharto during the New Order.  The Patriot Party's East Java 
leader, La Nyala Mattaliti , campaigned alongside Khofifah 
heavily, and the Patriot Party's role in her campaign was seen 
to overpower that of PPP.   This reportedly caused grief within 
PPP ranks.  With the Patriot Party's financial assistance, 
Khofifah was able to afford an ambitious advertising campaign 
that some analysts say contributed to her success. 
 
A QUESTION OF COMMITMENT 
 
 
SURABAYA 00000094  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
¶5.  After reviewing the platforms of all five candidates, the 
activist from FPP initially decidedto support Khofifah as the 
best candidate to advance women's issues in East Java.  However, 
after a meeting with three of the governor and vice-governor 
teams, they said they changed their view, disliking her 
personality and finding her to be more concerned with the 
demands of the business community than with advancing women's 
issues.  They also expressed concern that civil society's 
concerns would take a back seat to NU priorities. 
 
¶6.  (SBU) The activists concluded that Soekarwo, with his 
reputation for transparency as provincial secretary, would be a 
better governor than Khofifah and predicted a Soekarwo victory. 
An HIV/AIDS activist recounted that Soekarwo was the first 
candidate to respond to a letter asking for a commitment to open 
budgeting and community participation.  They surmised that 
Golkar voters will vote for Soekarwo in retaliation for Hasyim 
Muzadi's public support for Khofifah (in opposition to the 
Golkar ticket which included the former East Java NU Chairman -- 
Ref B).   It's unclear who PDI-P voters, whose candidate came a 
close third, would support in the runoff.  While ideologically, 
PDI-P should be more inclined to support Soekarwo, press reports 
suggest that Hasyim Muzadi is arranging a deal with PDI-P 
chairwoman Megawati Sukarnoputri to support Khofifah.   The 
activists agreed, however, that the contest would be close. 
MCCLELLAND