Better relations between Moslems and govt forecast<\/p>\n
YOGYAKARTA (JP): The appointment of Gen. R. Hartono as Army
\nchief of staff will further bolster the government's relations
\nwith Moslem groups in the country, a political analyst says.<\/p>\n
Riswandha Imawan of the Gadjah Mada University said the
\nappointment not only benefits the Armed Forces (ABRI) which also
\nneeds to maintain cordial relations with Moslem groups.<\/p>\n
The government, whose image has been dented in recent years by
\na series of scandals and incidents, will reap benefits through
\nthe rise of Hartono to the helm of the Army given the respect he
\ncommands from the country's political forces, particularly the
\nMoslems, Riswandha told reporters yesterday.<\/p>\n
Hartono was appointed as Army chief of staff by President
\nSoeharto last week to replace Gen. Wismoyo Arismunandar. His
\nappointment, a prerogative of the President, is part of a major
\nreshuffle in ABRI's top leadership. The Army is by far the
\nlargest and politically most powerful services in ABRI which also
\nincludes the Navy, the Air Force and the National Police.<\/p>\n
Riswandha said the government and the ruling political group
\nGolkar have suffered a series of setbacks in the last two years,
\nincluding the Nipah shooting of farmers, the abolition of the
\nSDSB lottery and the massive corruption at state-owned Bapindo.<\/p>\n
\"In some of these incidents, the interests of the government
\nand the Moslem groups conflicted,\" said the staff lecturer at the
\nuniversity's School of Social and Political Sciences.<\/p>\n
Riswandha said Hartono will have no problem in communicating
\nwith Moslem groups given his intimacy with leaders of the
\nNahdlatul Ulama, the largest Moslem organizations in the country.<\/p>\n
In his previous capacity as ABRI chief of socio-political
\naffairs, Hartono traveled extensively to meet with ulemas that he
\nearned the title of a santri general. The word santri means
\nMoslem scholars. He has said that he would continue this
\ntradition in his new job.<\/p>\n
Issues<\/p>\n
Riswandha said Hartono could also help the government deal
\nwith such issues as human rights and the debate on civil society
\nthat had already been started by university intellectuals.<\/p>\n
\"You can no longer deal with these issue using `war
\nmanagement' concepts. The government is expected to use a more
\npersuasive and educative approach,\" he said. \"For this purpose,
\nthe government needs to present more intellectual figures from
\nthe military to the forefront. Hartono is one of them.\"<\/p>\n
Hartono, according to Riswandha, is no stranger to the academy
\nworld.<\/p>\n
He was the youngest among the Class 1962 graduates of the
\nNational Military Academy. He is also an alumnae of the U.S. Army
\nCommand and General Staff College. He was commander of the ABRI
\nStaff and Command School and was governor of the National Defense
\nInstitute, the military's think tank group.<\/p>\n
Riswandha said he believed Hartono's appointment is crucial to
\nensure a smooth presidential election in 1998, the year in which
\nSoeharto might decide to step down or stay at the helm, depending
\non the political circumstances of the time.<\/p>\n
He predicted that conflicts between the various political
\ngroups will intensify in the run up to the 1998 election.<\/p>\n
The presence of a figure of Hartono's caliber will be vital in
\nensuring stability during that crucial year, Riswandha said.
\n(har\/mun\/emb)<\/p>",
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