ABRI dual role no longer needed, observers say<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): A previous \"national consensus\" on the Armed
\nForces' (ABRI) representation at the House of Representatives
\n(DPR) was obsolete and also in violation of the 1945
\nConstitution, political observers Marsilam Simanjuntak and
\nJohannes Kristiadi said on Saturday.<\/p>\n
\"There is no article in the 1945 Constitution stipulating that
\nABRI is allocated seats in the House of Representatives,\"
\nMarsilam told participants of a discussion on ABRI's dwifungsi
\n(dual role). The talks were held by the Indonesian Moslem
\nStudents Movement and the Flow of Information Studies Institute.<\/p>\n
\"The Armed Forces presence in the House was a product of the
\nthen-unlawful Guided Democracy, established by founding president
\nSukarno in 1960,\" Marsilam said.<\/p>\n
He said the second president, Soeharto, in the name of a
\nconsensus with political parties of the time, continued the
\npolicy on the grounds that the Armed Forces' representation in
\nthe House was needed to prevent its members from joining any
\nleftist or rightist political parties.<\/p>\n
\"The consensus was obtained in an unequal condition because
\nSoeharto stood at a higher position than the political parties,
\nwhich were described as the representation of the Old Order
\nadministration of the first president, Sukarno,\" Marsilam said.<\/p>\n
Kristiadi, a researcher with the Center for Strategic
\nInternational Studies, reminded the public to monitor ABRI's
\ncommitment to its new role.<\/p>\n
In August, Minister of Defence and Security\/Armed Forces
\nCommander Gen. Wiranto announced ABRI's new outlook.<\/p>\n
Wiranto had said, among others, that ABRI does not always have
\nto be in the forefront. \"ABRI can act as a partner who does not
\nnecessarily have to hold a key position but can still play an
\ninfluential role.\"<\/p>\n
If the public failed to monitor this commitment, Kristiadi
\nsaid, it was possible that this would not be implemented.<\/p>\n
Observers have expressed disappointment that the retainment of
\nABRI's seats in the House in the government's proposed bill of
\nthe legislature, though at 55 compared to the present 75 seats,
\nfailed to reflect ABRI's commitment to its new outlook.<\/p>\n
Marsilam further said that such a dual role for the Armed
\nForces should only be implemented in an emergency situation, and
\nwas, thus, long obsolete.<\/p>\n
Budget<\/p>\n
The dual role should be revoked, he said, adding this was the
\nsame view of former Army chief of staff Gen. (ret) Abdul Haris
\nNasution in the late 1960s.<\/p>\n
\"Moreover, the decision of whether it is necessary to maintain
\nthe dual-role concept should rest completely on the people, not
\nthe Armed Forces itself,\" he added.<\/p>\n
Marsilam, however, called on the nation's readiness to provide
\ncompensation for the Armed Forces' withdrawal from politics.<\/p>\n
\"ABRI's withdrawal from politics will need additional budget
\nallotments for professional military exercises and salaries,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
ABRI's seats in the House have been part of the dual-role
\ndoctrine, which allows the military to assume both defense and
\npolitical roles. Under the doctrine, ABRI members assume civilian
\nadministration posts, such as governors and regents besides
\nlegislators.<\/p>\n
Kristiadi said that numerous basic rights violations by ABRI
\nmembers also had a share in the Armed Forces' reduced credibility
\namong people, and, simultaneously, its members' declining self-
\nconfidence while dealing with activities categorized as security
\ndisturbances.<\/p>\n
\"There is a trend among ABRI members that they are now
\nreluctant to follow their superiors' orders,\" he said, giving the
\nimpression that they were being cautious for fear of being
\ncharged with violating human rights.<\/p>\n
He cited the Armed Forces troops' slowness in handling the
\nrecent murder spree of alleged black magic practitioners in the
\nEast Java coastal town of Banyuwangi.<\/p>\n
Kristiadi reiterated observers' view that ABRI members'
\nassignment in the House violated the universal principles of
\ndemocracy. While House members should act on behalf of their
\nconstituents, \"Armed Forces legislators are bound to the
\nmilitary's line of command,\" he said<\/p>\n
He said ABRI has deviated from its main function as the
\nsafeguard of the nation into the safeguard of the ruling
\ngovernment. \"ABRI has become the instrument to protect the status
\nquo,\" Kristiadi said. (imn)<\/p>",
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