Air Force ready to take TNI top post: Hanafie<\/p>\n
Tiarma Siboro, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Air Force Chief Marshall Hanafie Asnan welcomed on Sunday support
\nfor the rotation of the Indonesian Military (TNI) chief post
\namong the Army, Navy and Air Force, but said that he would leave
\nit to the legislators to decide.<\/p>\n
Speaking to the media on the sidelines of a drill for the Air
\nForce' 56th anniversary celebrations at Halim Perdanakusuma air
\nbase in East Jakarta, Hanafie stressed that it was the
\nlegislators' prerogative to make such a political decision.<\/p>\n
\"I am glad that some legislators are currently proposing that
\nthe next TNI chief should come from the Air Force. It's their
\ntask to make a political decision on the issue. We, the military,
\nwill just follow as we are not permitted to be involved in
\nday-to-day politics,\" Hanafie said on Sunday.<\/p>\n
Earlier, Lt. Gen. Agus Widjojo, former TNI chief for
\nterritorial affairs and MPR deputy speaker, suggested that the
\nposition of TNI chief be rotated among Army, Air Force and Navy
\nofficers \"in order to create professionalism within the
\nmilitary.\"<\/p>\n
People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) Speaker Amien Rais shared
\nAgus' opinion, calling on both the government and the House of
\nRepresentatives (DPR) to enact a law regulating the rotation of
\nTNI chief post among the Army, Navy and Air Force.<\/p>\n
TNI is currently led by Widodo A.S., a Navy admiral whose
\nmilitary service has been extended twice. His appointment in 1999
\nas TNI chief by former president Abdurrahman \"Gus Dur\" Wahid
\nbroke more than three decades of dominance by the Army under the
\nleadership of former authoritarian leader Soeharto.<\/p>\n
Many had expected that Widodo's appointment would pave the way
\nfor the rotation of TNI chief post among the Army, Navy and Air
\nForce, under which the next TNI chief would come the Air Force.<\/p>\n
But the recent extension of the military service of Army Chief
\nof Staff Endriartono Sutarto has triggered speculation that
\nPresident Megawati Soekarnoputri, as the TNI Supreme Commander,
\nwould appoint an Army officer as the next TNI chief.<\/p>\n
The extension of service of a military officer is decided by
\nthe President upon the recommendation of incumbent TNI chief and
\nother high-ranking military officers.<\/p>\n
According to Agus, an Air Force officer should now be promoted
\nto the top position considering that none of its personnel had
\never been appointed as TNI chief.<\/p>\n
A defense law enacted in November 2001 stipulates that the TNI
\nchief should be chosen from among the incumbent or former chiefs
\nof staff of the Army, Air Force and Navy. As such, four high-
\nranking military officers qualify for the job and they are former
\nArmy chief Gen. Tyasno Sudarto, Army Chief of Staff Gen.
\nEndriartono Sutarto, Air Force Chief of Staff Marshall Hanafie
\nAsnan, and Navy Chief of Staff Adm. Indroko Sastrowiryono.<\/p>\n
If the rotation system is already in place, the next TNI chief
\nshould be Marshal Hanafie Asnan.<\/p>\n
Hanafie, a 1969 Air Force Academy graduate, had once had a
\nclose relationship with Gus Dur. Many had speculated that the
\nextension of his term of office in November 2000 was aimed at
\nallowing him to take the top position in TNI.<\/p>\n
Hanafie further said on Sunday that the Air Force was
\ncontinually preparing its personnel to hold any post at the TNI
\nheadquarters, including the top post.<\/p>\n
He, however, refused to comment on whether or not he was ready
\nto be the TNI chief, saying only that \"it was the President's
\nprerogative to decide.\"<\/p>\n
The Air Force anniversary falls on April 9. President Megawati
\nand TNI Chief Admiral Widodo reportedly will not be attending the
\ncelebrations.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/air-force-ready-to-take-tni-top-post-hanafie-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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