Graduates of Lemhanas defend its existence<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Amid growing public scrutiny, graduates of the
\nNational Resilience Council (Lemhanas) defended the existence of
\nthe military think tank but proposed that it be placed under
\ndirect presidential authority and chaired by non-military
\npersonnel.<\/p>\n
The chairman of the council's alumni association Lt. Gen. A.M.
\nHendropriyono said on Monday the proposal would be brought before
\nPresident Abdurrahman Wahid next week.<\/p>\n
The former minister of transmigration and resettlement of
\nforest nomads lamented that many of the negative views of the
\ncouncil are due to public misperception.<\/p>\n
"We need to redefine the image of the council so people know
\nthat it's not a military-run body. It was, after all, established
\nby the president in order to serve the nation's interests,"
\nHendropriyono said.<\/p>\n
Hendropriyono, who also once headed the Indonesian military's
\n(TNI) Staff and Command School, said the proposal would be
\nconveyed to the President in conjunction with a planned two-day
\nnational conference that will be held by the council on March 20
\nto March 22.<\/p>\n
Dubbed Finding a New Indonesia, the conference will aim at
\nhearing opinions and views as to the future direction of the
\ncountry.<\/p>\n
Hendropriyono's comments come at a time when pseudo-military
\nbodies are under intense scrutiny.<\/p>\n
Last week the government announced that it was abolishing the
\nCoordination Agency to Support the Strengthening of National
\nStability (Bakorstanas) and screening procedures known as Litsus.<\/p>\n
The council was established in 1965 with a presidential decree
\nand was designed as an institution providing leadership education
\nto military and senior state officials.<\/p>\n
Each year between 50 to 100 officials go through various
\ncourses held by the council.<\/p>\n
Until 1984 the council was under the authority of the
\npresident, then it was put under the command of the Armed Forces
\n(ABRI) commander.<\/p>\n
Since then a two-star general always sits as governor of the
\ncouncil with a civilian official as deputy.<\/p>\n
The council's top post has been vacant since Lt. Gen. Agum
\nGumelar was appointed minister of transportation in October.<\/p>\n
Separately, criticism of the council was heard again on Monday
\nwith political scientist Mochtar Pabotinggi suggesting that it be
\ndismantled.<\/p>\n
"I think other councils such as the National Defense Council
\nshould be abolished as it has only served the old regime in its
\nefforts to monopolize power," Mochtar told reporters on Monday.<\/p>\n
"DPR and MPR should be the bodies that discuss the strategies
\nand plans for national resilience ... It is the people who have
\nthe power not the military," he added.<\/p>\n
When asked about Hendropriyono's proposal regarding the idea
\nof shifting the council's authority back to the President,
\nMochtar said: "I'd rather just abolish it altogether in order to
\nsettle everything once and for all".<\/p>\n
But Hendropriyono remained defiant despite the criticism,
\ndenying suggestions that the proposal was made as a means of
\ndeflecting criticism.<\/p>\n
"We just want a return to the council's origins. We aren't
\ncompeting (with other state-funded bodies) to get the President's
\nattention," he said.<\/p>\n
However the council's deputy governor, Purnomo Yusgiantoro,
\nconceded that by placing the council under the President much of
\nthe criticism could be allayed.<\/p>\n
"If authority is returned to the President misinterpretation
\nof our objectives will stop," Purnomo said. "It will remain a
\nneutral body which can supply constructive ideas to support the
\ngovernment." (emf\/dja)<\/p>",
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