Cablegate: South Sulawesi: Supreme Court Orders South Sulawesi Election

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RR RUEHCHI RUEHCN RUEHDT RUEHHM
DE RUEHJS #0091 3550614
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 210614Z DEC 07
FM AMCONSUL SURABAYA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0133
INFO RUEHJA/AMEMBASSY JAKARTA 0119
RUEHZS/ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS
RUEHWL/AMEMBASSY WELLINGTON 0059
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 0061
RHHMUNA/HQ USPACOM HONOLULU HI
RUEHJS/AMCONSUL SURABAYA 0136

UNCLAS SURABAYA 000091

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

DEPT FOR EAP/MTS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL EAID ID
SUBJECT: SOUTH SULAWESI: SUPREME COURT ORDERS SOUTH SULAWESI ELECTION
COMMISSION TO HOLD GUBERNATORIAL RE-ELECTIONS IN FOUR DISPUTED
REGENCIES

REF: SURABAYA 74

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1. (U) On December 19, the Supreme Court accepted defeated
incumbent Amin Syam's challenge to the November gubernatorial
election results and asked the South Sulawesi Election
Commission (KPUD) to hold re-elections in four regencies (Bone,
Bantaeng, Gowa, and Tan Toraja). The Supreme Courts decision
annulled the KPUD's decision declaring challenger Syahrul Yasin
Limpo the Governor of South Sulawesi (reftel). According to
press reports, Vice President and South Sulawesi native Jusuf
Kalla asked Syahrul's supporters to accept the Supreme Court's
decision.

2. (SBU) On December 21, Andi Mappinawang, the Chairman of KPUD,
told Consulate Surabaya that the South Sulawesi KPUD will
challenge the decision and submit a request for judicial review
on the grounds that the Supreme Court has no legal authority to
order re-elections in four regencies. He said that re-elections
should only be conducted in polling stations where there is
substantial evidence of manipulation or violations of election
rules. Mappinawang added that the funding for any re-elections
had yet to be determined and the members of the KPUD would soon
end their terms, further complicating the issue.

3. (SBU) According to Sukriansyah, the Chief Editor of the local
newspaper Fajar Daily, supporters of Amin Syam were holding a
demonstration December 21 demanding the KPUD investigate and
resolve questions of vote manipulation. They argue that four
days before the KPUD announced Syahrul as the victor, the KPUD
had signaled that Amin Syam had received the majority of votes.
Sukriansyah noted that with a margin of victory of just 25,000,
regardless of previous election fraud or manipulation, any
re-election could change the election results because voters
might change their votes or decide not to vote at all. He added
that three of the four regencies in question are considered
natural bases for Syahrul and his running mate Agus Nu'mang.

MCCLELLAND

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