ABS Slows President

Is it a rumor or a rumor of a rumor? Or a rumor that the rumor of a rumor is not true - it is merely a rumor? Nobody seems sure. Here's how it all started:

On 29 January, President SBY gave a speech in front of 200 soldiers and police officers in which he said "I heard a rumor that senior Army officers are saying ABS, anybody but presidential candidate S. There are also senior police officers that have joined the campaign team of presidential candidate X. I am certain this information is not true. I am certain this information is not true. "

So why mention it then? Well, it seems that the president is worried that the events of 2004 will be repeated. As his presidential spokesman, Andi Malarangeng, explained on 2 February, "it is an open secret that members of the military and the National Police were active in campaigning for presidential candidate B in 2004". (Note: the candidates in 2004 were Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, Megawati Sukarnoputri, Wiranto, Amien Rais and Hamzah Haz

So far so weird. Everybody (ahem!) seems to have something to say about the ABS rumor (the abbreviation works in Indonesian as well). First into the fray was the Indonesian Military commander, General Djoko Santoso, who said he knew nothing of the rumor (well he would....). On 29 January, National Police chief Bambang Hendarso Danuri categorically denied any of his officers were involved and insisted the brownshirts would be neutral. Over the next few days, politicians made predictable statements about how naughty the president was to go spreading rumors like that. The military meanwhile repeatedly insisted it was neutral.

Of course, as the saying goes, a good trick is worth doing twice. Given that SBY received a huge boost by being seen as the underdog in 2004, he may be thinking that it won't do him any harm this time either. Hence the coy refusal to say what everybody else is assuming: candidate S is SBY himself...

But back to the statement from Andi Malarangeng who helpfully explained that the president had made the statement to ensure the events of 2004, for which he had forgiven those responsible, were not repeated. At the risk of pointing out the obvious, not only did a candidate with the initial 'B' not even make it to the first round, but SBY actually won. What part of that doesn't he want repeated?