Bibit retires, no replacement named for Kostrad top post<\/p>\n
Tiarma Siboro, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Departing from its usual custom, the Army bid farewell on Tuesday
\nto its Strategic Reserves Command (Kostrad) chief, Lt. Gen. Bibit
\nWaluyo, without naming a successor.<\/p>\n
Pending Bibit's replacement, Army Chief of Staff Gen.
\nRyamizard Ryacudu will take charge of the elite force, which
\nboasts nearly 30,000 troops. Ryamizard also named Kostrad chief
\nof staff Maj. Gen. Saril Tanjung as acting executive commander of
\nKostrad.<\/p>\n
Ryamizard blamed the vacuum of power in Kostrad on the slow
\npace of military bureaucracy.<\/p>\n
\"The Army has actually completed its promotion and rotation
\nprocess and submitted the names of several officers for
\nassignment to new posts, including that of the Kostrad commander,
\nto Indonesian Military (TNI) headquarters. Now, we are waiting
\nfor their approval.\" Ryamizard said after the ceremony marking
\nthe stepping down of the Kostrad commander.<\/p>\n
Kostrad has been playing a major role in the ongoing military
\noperation to quell the separatist movement in Aceh.<\/p>\n
Bibit reached the mandatory retirement age of 55 on Aug. 5.
\nHis classmate in the Military Academy, former Indonesian Military
\nPolice chief Maj. Gen. (ret) Sulaiman A.B., who was born on the
\nsame date as Bibit, retired two months ago and was replaced by
\nMaj. Gen. Ruchian.<\/p>\n
Ryamizard was Kostrad commander before he took over as Army
\nchief from Gen. Endiartono Sutarto, who was promoted to TNI chief
\nin 2000.<\/p>\n
A military source said the chief of the Brawijaya Military
\nCommand responsible for military affairs in East Java, Maj. Gen.
\nAhmad Djunaidi Sikki, and Kostrad Chief of Staff Saril have been
\nnamed as candidates to take over from Bibit.<\/p>\n
Military analyst J. Kristiadi of the Centre for Strategic and
\nInternational Studies (CSIS) blamed the unusual situation on the
\nbureaucratic mind-set of President Megawati Soekarnoputri's
\ngovernment.<\/p>\n
\"We all know that the President has been busy over the past
\nfew months trying to get herself reelected. This probably
\naffected the workings of the TNI's senior officers' promotion and
\nrotation council,\" Kristiadi told The Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
The council usually convenes three times a year to discuss
\npromotions and rotations among the TNI's top brass. The ensuing
\nreshuffles are then announced in February, June and October.<\/p>\n
Another military analyst, Salim Said, praised the TNI for
\nrefraining from deciding on strategic policies at a time when the
\ncountry was set to experience a change in national leadership.<\/p>\n
\"The transfer of power from the outgoing Kostrad chief (Bibit)
\nto the Army chief is purely an administrative matter. Pak Bibit
\nhas to retire and it is uncommon for the TNI to extend the
\nservice of pensionable officers,\" Salim said.<\/p>\n
Only the TNI chief may avail of an extended term, as happened
\nin the case of Sutarto and his predecessor, Adm. (ret) Widodo
\nAdisucipto.<\/p>\n
\"When the TNI Military Police chief Sulaiman was replaced, the
\nmilitary did not expect Megawati to lose in the election. They
\nare now waiting for the new president to approve the officer who
\nwill fill this strategic post,\" Salim said.<\/p>\n
The appointment of four-star military officers and upwards
\nrequires presidential consent.<\/p>\n
Salim, however, admitted that never in the Army's history had
\nthe top job in Kostrad been held by the Army chief merely because
\na replacement was not available.<\/p>\n
\"But it won't last long because one of the candidates for the
\npost will be quickly approved by the new president,\" Salim said.<\/p>\n
TNI spokesman Maj. Gen. Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin admitted that the
\nTNI senior officers' promotion and rotation council planned to
\nconvene after Oct. 5.<\/p>\n
\"The TNI is supposed to conduct a reshuffle three times a
\nyear, but with the election season having lasted eight months,
\nstarting in April, we have been busy providing security for
\npolitical events, and have tended to neglect our own affairs,\"
\nSjafrie said.<\/p>\n
The next president will be sworn in on Oct. 20.<\/p>\n
With nearly 115 million of the estimated 125 million votes
\ncounted on Tuesday, front-runner Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono still
\nenjoys an unassailable lead of 61 percent of the vote, compared
\nto Megawati's 39 percent.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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