VZCZCXRO8296
OO RUEHDT RUEHPB
DE RUEHJA #0664/01 1031030
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 131030Z APR 09
FM AMEMBASSY JAKARTA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 2101
INFO RUCNARF/ASEAN REGIONAL FORUM COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 JAKARTA 000664 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR EAP, EAP/MTS, EAP/MLS, EAP/RSP; NSC FOR E.PHU 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV KDEM ID
SUBJECT: INDONESIAN LEGISLATIVE ELECTIONS FREE AND FAIR 
DESPITE LOGISTICAL FLAWS 
 
REF: JAKARTA 00658 AND PREVIOUS 
 
¶1. (U) This message was coordinated with Consuls General 
Surabaya and Medan.  It is Sensitive but Unclassified. 
Please handle accordingly. 
 
¶2. (SBU) SUMMARY:  Observers are calling Indonesia's third 
democratic legislative elections free and fair despite 
limited logistical difficulties, several days after the April 
9 balloting.  People are getting information quickly about 
the results via quick counts and have accepted the projected 
win of President Yudhoyono's Partai Demokrat (PD).  However, 
due to ballot mishaps, the Elections Commission (KPU) will 
likely hold "re-votes" in some districts.  Although faulty 
voter lists apparently disenfranchised thousands of voters, 
this is not expected to significantly influence the election 
outcome.  Several NGOs are calling for removal of KPU members 
to ensure a smoother preparation for the July 8 presidential 
election. END SUMMARY. 
 
FREE AND FAIR 
 
¶3.  (SBU) Most observers agreed that the April 9 national 
legislative elections seemed to be largely free and fair. 
Mission, international and NGO observers found that, with few 
exceptions, polling station officials allowed them to observe 
the voting and counting process.  In an April 13 press 
statement, the Carter Center congratulated Indonesia on its 
"generally peaceful elections" and noted that the KPU is 
collecting and scanning poll station results which hopefully 
will be made public.  Legal channels for election-related 
complaints are also in place and being used.  (Note: The 
Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) is challenging the local Aceh 
Party's win, alleging they "cheated" -- but admitted that 
Aceh Party would have won even without cheating.) 
 
¶4.  (SBU)  The vast majority of elections irregularities are 
logistical rather than malfeasance.  Many problems stem from 
a newly-appointed KPU with little experience, problems at the 
local level such as local governments cutting costs, and lack 
of advance practice in voting simulations and testing of 
equipment. 
 
¶5.  (SBU) The people seem confident in the veracity of the 
quick count results.  Official KPU results so far have been 
similar, putting PD ahead at over 20% with only a small 
portion of the votes counted, followed by Golkar and 
Indonesian Party of Struggle (PDI-P), tied for second place. 
Islamic parties came next, led by PKS.  As of Sunday night, 
only 3 million of the 171 million had been tabulated; 
official results will continue to trickle in throughout the 
month. 
 
LOGISTICAL PROBLEMS 
 
¶6.  (SBU) The administration of this election was a vast 
undertaking--this was Indonesia's largest centrally 
administered single day election.  In the run-up to the 
election, the Government of Indonesia (GOI) issued new 
regulations changing the KPU's roles and powers, tying its 
funding and data source to the Ministry of Home Affairs. 
These and other new regulations complicated the 
administration process.  The voters list was a major source 
of contention, with many remaining off the list despite 
attempts to register.  Thousands of voters did not get their 
invitation letters to vote and were thus disenfranchised. 
There were also reports that underage or deceased voter names 
remained on the list, opening up the possibilities for 
further allegations of fraud (see reftels). 
 
RE-RUNS OF THE ELECTIONS 
 
¶7.  (SBU) The Elections Supervisory Board (Bawaslu) announced 
that they will hold 245 "re-runs" in ten provinces.  Some 
were called due to simple errors--ballots were distributed to 
the wrong areas, so voters could only choose parties, not 
candidates.  Others were due to violations, as in one village 
polling station in East Java where pre-marked ballots were 
discovered.  The KPU and GOI have been responsive to requests 
for re-runs in these cases. 
 
LEGAL CHALLENGES 
 
¶8.  (SBU) Some voters, the media and civil society have 
complained about the logistical complications.  NGOs such as 
the Center for Electoral Forum (CETRO) are urging disgruntled 
voters to exercise their democratic rights to complain.  The 
 
JAKARTA 00000664  002 OF 002 
 
 
hitch is that those wishing to file legal elections-related 
complaints must do so within 14 days of the elections, and 
courts must rule on them within 21 days. 
 
¶9.  (SBU) NGOs demanded a better resolution of logistical 
issues so that the presidential election will go more 
smoothly.  CETRO attributed the lower voter turnout in 2009 
to poor electoral management (Note: Experts agree turnout is 
lower than in 2004 but there is no official figure yet.). 
Other NGOs, such as the Indonesian Civil Society Circle and 
Research Institute of Democracy and the Welfare State, called 
on President Yudhoyono to dismiss the KPU members.  Although 
there is some cause for concern, the fact that the GOI is 
taking these complaints seriously and that legal channels 
exist is a good sign for Indonesian democracy. No one is 
taking to the streets to protest and the Indonesian 
electorate appears to have accepted the elections as free and 
fair. 
HUME