WikiLeaks cable: U.S. believed 2007 Jakarta election was 'rigged'

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WikiLeaks cable: U.S. believed 2007 Jakarta election was 'rigged'

2011-09-05 10:45:52 GMT+7 (ICT)

JAKARTA (BNO NEWS) -- A newly-released confidential cable from the U.S. Embassy in Indonesia shows that U.S. officials believed the historic 2007 gubernatorial election in Jakarta was rigged.

The diplomatic cable, titled '[Prosperous Justice Party (PKS)] versus the world in Jakarta governor's race', is believed to have been written in April 2007 by John Heffern, the then-deputy chief of the U.S. Embassy in Jakarta. The elections in August 2007 were the first governor's election in the 500-year history of the city.

"In many ways the Jakarta governor's race has shown the soft underbelly of democracy 'Indonesian style.' Voters hungry for a serious campaign about the myriad problems afflicting a city still reeling from devastating flooding, will have to content themselves with 'a campaign' between two candidates who bought their way into contention and squeezed out all competition," the cable said.

It added: "Despite the intense press coverage of the election and its national importance, the Jakarta elites have rigged the game. What should have been an interesting debate about the future of the city, will instead amount to little more than a coronation for the status quo. Analysts expect turnout to be very low, and it is not difficult to understand why."

Before the election, then-Vice Governor Fauzi Bowo enlisted the support of 17 political parties in his bid for the governorship while the PKS, which is the largest party in the city with at the time just under 25 percent of the local legislative seats, nominated former Deputy Police Chief Adang Daradjatun as its candidate.

"As with all elections in Indonesia, money politics have played a major role in shaping the playing field for the governorship," the U.S. cable said. "Our contacts tell us that Vice Governor Fauzi purchased the support of three of the four largest political parties in Jakarta for at least five billion Indonesian rupiah apiece ($555,000)."

Meanwhile, the U.S. cable alleges that Adang paid the PKS between 15 and 25 billion rupiah ($1,666,666 - $2,750,000) for its support. "Fauzi and Adang's deep pockets, coupled with the sheer enormity of Fauzi Bowo's coalition, have effectively frozen out potential opposition and turned the election into a two man show: Adang and PKS versus Fauzi and everyone else," the cable said.

The U.S. cable further commented that the PKS, by accepting the money, was becoming more like parties it previously differentiated itself from. "Party leaders essentially threw in the towel a year ago and decided to use the race to generate resources for the future," the cable said. "The logic makes sense, in the Indonesian political context, but is yet another indication that PKS is becoming like all the other parties it once worked so hard to differentiate itself from."

The 2007 gubernatorial election in Jakarta was won by Fauzi, who won by 57.9 percent of the vote and remains governor. His rival Adang received 42.1 percent during the election.

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