1st May 2002 (Day 15 of the Election Campaign):
In South Sulawesi, PKPB DPR Candidate Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin criticized the government for not appreciating the people of South Sulawesi. Sjafrie said that this “is the government that sidelined BJ Habibie, this is the government that removed Jusuf Kalla”. Meanwhile, in East Java, the PNI went for another activist style campaign, this time with PNI DPR Candidate Agus Jabo Priyono promising that a future government led by the PNI will complete investigation into the Marsinah case.
The President met with Harsudiono Hartas, Minister of Finance Mar’ie Muhammad, Minister of Mining and Energy Djiteng Marsudi, and State Secretary Edi Sudrajat. The four reported the latest development from negotiations with PT. Freeport Indonesia. Djiteng said that Freeport was willing to agree to all but one of the terms offered by the President; namely the terms regarding royalties. Freeport is offering 5% for copper, 4.5% for gold, and 4.25% for silver. The President considered this carefully.
“6% for copper, 5.5% for gold, and 5.25% for silver”, said the President “And…a guarantee in the contract that unless they are doing something illegal or something that clearly endangers this country, the government will not close down Freeport’s mines.”
The President also met with Minister of Foreign Affairs Ginandjar Kartasasmita. The latter reported that the Indian Government has accepted the plan that the Government had submitted to them. Ginandjar said that the Indian Government has allocated the Kolkata and Gawahati Airbases in Northeastern India for Indonesia’s aircrafts to land in. Finally, Ginandjar reported that the Indonesian Embassy in India are beginning to transport Shwe Mann’s soldiers and their families who will be departing by ship to Kolkata.
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2nd May 2002 (Day 16 of the Election Campaign):
At the ABRI Headquarters, Commander of ABRI Wiranto returned from a morning meeting with the President with a single sentence for the officers gathered there: “We have the President’s authorization for Operation Chinthe”. Campaigning in Jakarta, PNI DPR Candidate Jacob Nuwa Wea reminded his audience that the government had not raised the minimum wage in 3 years. Nuwa Wea says he suspects that the Workplace Law the government is drafting will not be beneficial for workers and calls for the government to wait until the new DPR term when there will be PNI representation in the DPR.
The President, accompanied by Minister of Education Fakry Gaffar held a luncheon for a group of vocational students, junior high school students, and children who are enrolled to attend state kindergartens in the next school year from all around the country at the Presidential Palace. This being the National Education Day. In his speech, the President said that the government remains committed not only to achieve 9-year compulsory education by 2004 but also beyond that to a 9+1 compulsory education and to more young Indonesians choosing to attend vocational schools.
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6 long-bodied C-130 Hercules containing 100 passengers each. All 6 making one round-way trip during the night to avoid attention; the Air Force trying to estimate how many trips they can make, how fast they can move and how much they can avoid attention. Meanwhile KM Bukit Siguntang, KM Umsini and the Kolinlamil’s KRI Tanjung Kambani escorted by 3 Ahmad Yani-Class Frigates continue to steam for Kolkata.
3rd May 2002 (Day 17 of the Election Campaign):
At the Presidential Palace, there was Friday Prayer followed by a working lunch as the President accompanied by Edi Sudrajat and Harsudiono Hartas met with Chairman of the PKPI Basofi Sudirman and Chairman of the PKPI National Campaign Hendropriyono. The two reported on some good news and bad news.
The good news is that the PKPI is doing better than expected. Having made some adjustments during the campaign, the PKPI now not only has Chairman of the DPR Harmoko going around trying to get the rural vote but also Minister of Agriculture Sarwono Kusumaatmadja mobilizing sago growers and sago plantation owners in Eastern Indonesia. Meanwhile Minister of Tourism Soeyono has also been going around to tourist destinations around Indonesia targeting voters from among those in the tourism industry.
The bad news is that the PKPI campaign is running out of money. Businessmen Sofyan Wanandi and Arifin Panigoro are still managing to mobilize funds for the PKPI from the business community but this is nothing compared to the funds mobilized by Tutut and her supporters.
“What’s the best way to counter this?” asked the President.
“By having you out and about campaigning, Mr. President”, replied Hendropriyono “They can buy more ads or hand out more merchandise but nothing beats you being out there, you’re still the best asset the PKPI has in this campaign.”
“He’s also a busy asset with real job”, countered Edi “Any hard evidence that the trips he’s made throughout the campaign so far has brought results?”
“We’ve gone from an outright victory for the PKPB in Central Java to a fighting chance since the President’s visit there in the first weekend of the campaign”, reported Basofi “And the President’s visits to North Sumatra and East Nusa Tenggara this week had secured both of those provinces for the PKPI.”
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As yesterday, 6 of the longbodied C-130 Hercules carrying 100 passengers each. ABRI Chief of General Staff Djaja Suparman pressed for the Hercules to make two round trips each day but the Air Force questioned whether it can keep the operation a secret if they flew during the day. ABRI Chief of Intelligence Ian Santoso Perdanakusuma said that whilst China is not aware of what’s going on, they still need to remain cautious.
4th May 2002 (Day 18 of the Election Campaign):
Very much in his capacity as a PKPI member, the President arrived at Tasikmalaya, West Java this morning. He attended a PKPI event held at the center of the city. There, the President opened a mini-badminton tournament held by the PKPI’s West Java Provincial Branch and played a short doubles game. The President’s doubles partner was none other than PKPI DPR Candidate Susi Susanti. After the short game, Susi Susanti said that she believes the President can make Indonesia into a “gold medalist nation” and calls upon voters to vote for the PKPI so that the PKPI can in turn vote for President Try at the 2003 MPR General Session.
At Tasikmalaya, the President also sat down and met with the PKPI’s DPR candidates for West Java. He told them that they have an important role because West Java is the province with the most DPR seats up for grabs with 68. The President remarked that the nation’s attention is on Central Java as the “battleground of all battleground provinces” but it might be that the election is won or lost in Central Java.
In a press conference at Jambi, Nahdlatul Ulama member Abu Hasan declares his support for Chairwoman of the PKPB Tutut Soeharto. Abu Hasan called upon those who had supported his bid for the Chairmanship of NU in the past to once again to support him on this venture. Sitting next to Abu Hasan at the press conference, Tutut said that Abu Hasan represents the best that NU has to offer.
When asked about her campaign adding a more religious tinge, Tutut said that she believes the PKPB are asking questions on the minds of many Indonesians. She points out that the government has shown its “allergy” to the term Sharia ever since the amendments to the Banking Law where it was doing “backflips” to avoid the term “Sharia banking”.
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The 6 longbodied C-130 Hercules are in action again with two of the aircrafts making a second trip during the night to pick up the evacuees.
5th May 2002 (Day 19 of the Election Campaign):
After spending the night in Tasikmalaya, the President arrived in Yogyakarta where he was welcomed by Chairman of Muhammadiyah Amien Rais.
The President’s first stop was at Karangkajen Islamic Cemetery. With Amien Rais by his side, the President first paid his respects at the tomb of KH Ahmad Dahlan, the founder of Muhammadiyah. He then also paid his respects at the tomb of Prof. Lafran Pane the founder of the Islamic Students’ Association (HMI). The immediate question the President faced was whether he was trying to get Muhammadiyah and HMI’s support for the PKPI ahead of the elections.
“The Government, the PKPI and myself are willing to work with whoever wants the best for the nation be they Muhammadiyah, HMI, or NU”, said the President “As for what I’m doing now, I’m just paying my respects.”
From the Karangkajen Islamic Cemetery, the President and his entourage went to Muhammadiyah’s offices where he met with Amien Rais. The President was accompanied by Edi and Harsudiono Hartas while Amien was accompanied by Secretary of Muhammadiyah Yahya Muhaimin.
The talk was pleasant with the President and Amien agreeing that Tutut is throwing everything she can at the current campaign. To which Harsudiono half-jokingly said that Amien should remember this fact when he’s dealing with the President in reference to his constant demands for more positions. More seriously, Amien said that the PPP is suffering most of the brunt from the PKPB trying to appeal more to religion and from information on the ground, it is looking like the PPP will lose rather than gain seats at the election. The President asked what would Amien’s advice be.
“Run interference on the PPP, Mr. President”, said Amien “And it’s not only because there’s a lot of Muhammadiyah members running for DPR with the PPP, but also because the PKPI needs a strong PPP. After all, the PKPI signed up for a coalition with the PPP because it knows it’s not going to get Golkar-level of votes.”
At the short press conference afterwards, the President and Amien said that they discussed various political matters. Amien said that Muhammadiyah will issue a statement regarding its stance in the election as the election approaches.
After resting at the Presidential Palace in Yogyakarta, the President and First Lady Tuti Setiawati was visited by Governor of Yogyakarta Sultan Hamengkubuwono X and State Minister of Poverty Reduction GKR Hemas. The two brought with them their eldest daughter and soon-to-be-son-in-law who came to ask for the President’s blessing and to invite them to their wedding at the end of the month.
While the First Lady gave a tour of the Presidential Place, the President talked with Hamengkubuwono. The latter spoke plainly about the PKPI’s prospects.
“Here in Yogyakarta it’s my authority versus the PKPB not wanting to lose in the province where President Soeharto was born” said Hamengkubuwono “Over in Central Java there’s the fact that the PKPB built a stronghold for itself whilst Prabowo was Governor of Central Java and the fact, every Province has its own story, its own dynamic…it will be a fight to the finish, Mr. President, no more Golkar-style walkovers.”
By the time the President and Hamengkubuwono finished talking. It was nearly evening and the President had a special dinner at the Presidential Palace for those who works or owns a business in Yogyakarta’s tourism industry. Owners and workers of hotels, restaurants, souvenir shops, and tourist attractions who happened to be off-duty at the time of the event. With Soeyono by his side, the President walked around and mingled with them. They told him stories about the amount of people that have come to Yogyakarta in the last few years whether to visit or to literally set up shop by opening a hotel or a restaurant here. When one restaurant owner promised to vote for the PKPI and mobilize her employees and suppliers to do the same, the President gave her a mischievous look.
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The 6 longbodied C-130 Hercules making its one round trip with 2 of those making a second round trip. There are also the arrivals of Kolinlamil’s KRI Tanjung Kambani as well as PT. Pelni’s KM Bukit Siguntang, and KM Umsini.
6th May 2002 (Day 20 of the Election Campaign):
There was a breakfast meeting to discuss the PNI campaign at Chairwoman of the PNI Megawati Soekarnoputri’s personal residence but not a lot was being eaten. Treasurer of the PNI Laksamana Sukardi reported that the PNI has round out of money. When Megawati asked what this means, Laksamana said that it means that the PNI Head Office can no longer subsidize anymore campaign activities by the PNI’s branches in the regions.
Taufiq Kiemas immediately recognized the look of despair appearing on his wife’s face. He could only tell himself that this was the downside of having activists and intellectuals as a party’s core constituents: not a whole lot of campaign funds.
“We must focus our resources on provinces where we will definitely win seats and cut our losses elsewhere”, said Chairman of the PNI National Campaign Sutjipto “And start thinking of what our strategy will be after the election and in the lead-up to the 2003 MPR Session.”
Elsewhere in Jakarta, the President spent all day at the Presidential Palace going through as much paperwork as possible, getting them out of the way so that he could go on the itinerary that Edi and Hendropriyono had prepared for him. There was a lot to be done but the President finished his paperwork.
Try watched the RCTI’s Layar Emas movies as Edi double-checked the paperwork Try had gone through and instructed a staff member to collect the paperwork from the President’s desk.
“What do you think of the PPP’s situation?” Try asked, his eyes on the television.
“I think we need to think about the PKPI first, Mr. President”, replied Edi “I’m not downplaying Matori or the PPP’s problems, it’s just that we need to take care of our problems first; make the trips, inaugurate projects, and strengthen our position going into the Election.”
Try nodded but did it in such a way that Edi made a mental note to ask Harsudiono that the latter touch base with Chairman of the PPP Matori Abdul Djalil.
On the television, the movie went to an ad break. The first ad was a PKPI ad featuring a group of PKPI DPR candidates talking about the PKPI’s values with a photograph of Try in the background. Try smiled at this. Then PKPB ads followed one after the other. There were three ads with three different messages all of which featured Tutut’s face front and center. Try’s smile became a frown and he changed the channel.
The television was now on Indosiar, a television network friendly towards the government. When it went to an ad break, there was a PKPI ad, a Hary Tanoesoedibjo financial planning ad, and the three PKPB ads. Try switched to Anteve and he began to despair, there was no PKPI ad on this channel but there were the three PKPB ads.
Edi gave Hendropriyono a call to ask what was going on.
“The President needs to get some rest, Mr. State Secretary, it will only exhaust him psychologically if he continues to watch”, said Hendropriyono “Those are three ads, in every ad break, during primetime, and across all of the television networks and as you can see already, we can’t match the resources being thrown at this campaign by the PKPB.”
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No C-130 Hercules flights as ABRI Headquarters decide to wait until the two Pelni ships and the Kolinlamil ship are maintained and ready to go again.
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Information on the Marsinah case may be found in
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marsinah
A Chinthe is the Burmese word for Lion
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinthe
Yes the evacuation is not running as fast as possible, there’s probably going to be a request for a sealift ship with a large capacity at the end of this.
OTL Abu Hasan ran for the Chairmanship of the Nahdlatul Ulama against Abdurrahman Wahid in 1994 and was seen to be the Soeharto Regime’s favored candidate for the job.
The founders of Muhammadiyah and HMI are buried in the same cemetery as in OTL
https://news.detik.com/berita-jawa-...akam-kh-ahmad-dahlan-dan-lafran-pane-di-yogya
Fast approaching the final week of the campaign and we see the differing circumstances of the 4 political parties:
-The PPP, being the only remnant of the old political party system, takes its support for granted and is running a campaign on the basis of “Here’s our best chance to be a part of/continue being a part of the Government” but finds itself being abandoned by voters who are attracted by the PKPB’s “religious” image.
-The PNI is anti-establishment (by ITTL standards considering that there was no May 1998) by daring to bring up human rights violation case and promising real political change but it has run out of money.
-The PKPB is counting on appealing to rural voters to attract voters from the PKPI, playing the religion card to attract voters from the PPP, and throwing whole lot of Cendana Money at the Election Campaign.
-The PKPI is relying on being the party of incumbency, having the President, the Chairman of the DPR, and ministers running around campaigning for it even. At the same time, it can’t match the PKPB’s financial power.
