R 061042Z NOV 08
FM AMCONSUL SURABAYA
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 0325
INFO AMEMBASSY JAKARTA 
AMCONSUL SURABAYA 
AMEMBASSY DILI 
AMEMBASSY PORT MORESBY 
AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 
AMEMBASSY BANGKOK 
AMEMBASSY SINGAPORE 
AMEMBASSY KUALA LUMPUR 
AMEMBASSY MANILA 
AMEMBASSY BEIJING 
AMEMBASSY TOKYO 
AMEMBASSY WELLINGTON 
AMEMBASSY SEOUL

UNCLAS SURABAYA 000129 
 
 
STATE FOR R -U/S GLASSMAN, DRL - A/S KRAMER, EAP/PD - 
RFERGUSON-AUGUSTUS, EAP/MTS, IIP/PUB - GCLACK, PA/OBS - 
GSANTULLI, IIP/W, IIP/S - RADAMS, PA/FPC - SMACTAGGART 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KPAO SCUL OIIP ID
SUBJECT: SURABAYA WELCOMES A NEW PRESIDENT IN EAST INDONESIA 
 
REF: A) JAKARTA 1805, B) JAKARTA 1996 
 
 
¶1. (U) Summary:  Consulate General Surabaya welcomed over 100 
guests to the CG's residence November 5 to observe live results 
of the U.S. Presidential Election.  Local government officials, 
NGOs, prominent academics, students, and many members of the 
media attended the event.  The CG, other Consulate staff, and 
guests gave live media interviews and discussed the election 
process and results with attendees.  END SUMMARY. 
 
All-American Celebration 
------------------------------- 
 
¶2. (U) Some eager guests arrived an hour early and all received 
a welcome packet with candidate profiles, buttons, stickers, and 
a sample ballot.  Visitors were eager to cast their votes and 
the ballot box became the focus of many media pictures, some of 
which appeared in local newspapers.  Voter participation among 
attendees almost exceeded that of participation in the East Java 
Governor's election, held the previous day.  Not surprisingly, 
Senator Obama, who lived for a time in Jakarta as a child and is 
extremely popular in Indonesia, came out ahead in the contest, 
although Senator McCain garnered some votes as well. 
 
¶3. (U) Six television monitors, including a large projection 
screen, showed live results from various U.S. and international 
networks including CNN, Fox News, BBC, and Al Jazeera.  Guests 
enjoyed traditional American foods that started with a breakfast 
menu of pancakes and hash browns and moved on to hamburgers 
straight off the grill with all the fixings for lunch. 
Invitations to the event described it as an open house, but most 
guests stayed for several hours and remained enthralled until 
both candidates had delivered their speeches. 
 
Media Interest High 
------------------------ 
 
¶4. (U) Media interest in the campaign and the Consulate's 
Election Open House was intense.  National and local television 
networks broadcast from the event and pictures of noted guests 
at the ballot box and the CG filling in a large electoral map 
were featured in newspapers.  Surabaya's Public Affairs Officer 
did a live radio interview in Indonesian just after the results 
were announced. The CG and several guests were also interviewed 
by various media outlets.  A number of attendees had 
participated in election outreach programs that the Consulate 
had been holding in the weeks leading up to Election Day. Many 
of these programs had also been highlighted by the media. 
 
Gracious in Defeat 
---------------------- 
 
¶5. (U) In an interesting coincidence, East Java, Indonesia's 
second largest province with a population roughly equal to 
California's at over 35 million, held its governor's election on 
November 4. "Quick count" results suggest less than 1 percentage 
point separates the candidates. The final results are not 
expected for another week, creating concerns about potential 
fraud (Septel).  Some guests noted with admiration how quickly 
U.S. results were tabulated, even for tight races in 
battleground states.  Despite an overwhelming preference for 
Obama, a number of guests expressed admiration for McCain's 
concession speech.  For many Indonesians, this was the first 
time they had been exposed to Senator McCain.  After his speech, 
some attendees said they now understood why so many Americans 
supported him and how they wished politicians here could be as 
magnanimous in defeat. 
 
¶6. (U) This campaign and Senator Obama's rise to prominence in 
the American political landscape has captivated the imaginations 
of large segments of Indonesian society.  His ties to Indonesia 
and multi-ethnic heritage have resonated with people across the 
archipelago.  Never before have Indonesians followed an overseas 
democratic process as closely and it has inspired them to 
contemplate all the possibilities inherent in a democratic form 
of government.  Guests at the Consulate watched in wonder as 
scenes of jubilation in front of Obama's former elementary 
school in Jakarta were beamed via satellite around the world.  A 
proud moment in American history is universally welcomed as a 
triumph of democracy in this developing democratic state. 
 
MCCLELLAND