Jakarta – President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono swore he would not let foreigners meddle with Indonesia's presidential election dispute, ahead of a visit to the country by former US president Bill Clinton.
"I pray to God. I swear and I ask all Indonesian people, we will solve our own problems without foreigners coming here and playing referee or peacemaker to our conflict. We can solve it ourselves," Yudhoyono said while breaking his fast at the house of Irman Gusman, speaker of the Regional Representatives Council (DPD), in Jakarta on Monday.
Yudhoyono's remarks are the latest warning against anti-foreign involvement in Indonesia's election, one that has been a close and polarized race between former military general Prabowo Subianto and Jakarta Governor Joko Widodo.
Split decision
Both candidates claim to have won the election by a single-digit margin, and all eyes are now on the announcement of the official result from the General Elections Commission (KPU) on July 22.
Earlier, Prabowo's tycoon brother, Hashim Djojohadikusumo, questioned Clinton's motive for visiting Indonesia, claiming that those inviting the former president were connected to Joko.
Hashim suggested Clinton rethink his plan to stop in Indonesia as part of an Asia tour, calling the timing "inappropriate." "We'd like President Clinton to not get involved in our domestic political affairs," Hashim said, according to Australia Network News. "I don't know whether this visit was planned a long time ago to coincide with the elections, but we're concerned that the trip may be used for other purposes."
Clinton is scheduled to arrive in India on Wednesday for the start of his week-long Asia-Pacific tour that includes Vietnam, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and Australia. He will pay a visit to projects by the Clinton Foundation in those five countries, according to a press statement from the charity organization he founded, which deals with global health, climate change and economic development issues.
Clinton is set to arrive in Aceh province on Saturday. There is no mention of Clinton meeting any Indonesian officials or politicians during his visit. Joko's camp has denied inviting or hosting Clinton.
Indonesian officials also slammed US Ambassador to Indonesia Robert O. Blake Jr., accusing him of pre-election meddling after he wrote in an e-mail to the Wall Street Journal that the United States "takes seriously allegations of human rights abuses, and urges the Indonesian government to fully investigate the claims" – which Prabowo's camp has interpreted as a reference to the candidate's alleged role in the massacre of civilians in East Timor in the mid-1970s and abduction of pro-democracy activists in Jakarta in the late 1990s.
Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa said in a text message to the Jakarta Globe that "while the statement may be a reiteration of the US's long-held and general view on addressing accusations of past human rights abuses, in Indonesia and elsewhere; however given the current context, its timing and nature reflect a lapse of judgement that is difficult to accept."
Marty's newly installed deputy, Dino Patti Djalal, previously said that Indonesian voters must not be swayed by the US ambassador's statement. "Don't give any room to outsiders to make guerrilla maneuvers in our domestic politics," said Dino, the former Indonesian ambassador to Washington.
He said it was common for foreign powers to try to sway opinion on the ground through accusations, and stressed there was no need for Indonesians to be outraged at such attempts. "Overreacting may signify our low self-confidence and undetermined nationalism," Dino said.
Allan Nairn
On Tuesday, Hashim and Fadli Zon, a deputy chairman of Prabowo's Great Indonesia Movement Party (Gerindra), told a press conference at the camp's headquarters in East Jakarta that a litany of allegations against the candidate by US freelance journalist Allan Nairn, based on an interview conducted in 2001, was part of foreign intervention.
"We don't want foreigners spreading lies and ruining our election," Fadli said. He said that Prabowo's camp had reported Nairn to the police. "We hope the National Police's detectives squad quickly investigate our report," Fadli said.
Hashim accused Joko's camp for Nairn's moves to discredit Prabowo. "Why did Nairn suddenly appear? Why now, when my brother Prabowo is running for president? Why not when he was running with Megawati in 2004?" he said, referring to Megawati Soekarnoputri, chairwoman of Joko's Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P). Hashim said Nairn had been used by Prabowo's rival to tarnish his image.
Mature democracy
Yudhoyono said that Indonesia's election was peaceful and would not end in conflict because the people had a mature understanding of democracy. He said that if there were no problems then there was no reason for other countries to be involved in Indonesia's internal affairs.
"If there is a dispute, we should give the KPU a chance. Of course, the KPU must also be professional and credible when they do the vote counting. All of us must also monitor the process," he said.
Yudhoyono called on the KPU to ask both Prabowo and Joko to monitor the counting process. "So whoever wins on July 22, the other side will accept it. Of course, there will always be a winner and a loser. Those who don't accept it can always go to the Constitutional Court," he said.
Source: http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/news/sby-says-indonesia-doesnt-need-foreign-interference/