NEWSANALYSIS<\/p>\n
TNI chief appointment: When political and national interests
\ncollide<\/p>\n
Imanuddin Razak
\nThe Jakarta Post\/Jakarta<\/p>\n
The Indonesian Military (TNI) Commander Gen. Endriartono
\nSutarto's term in office has been extended twice. He has also
\ntendered his resignation for the second time earlier this month.<\/p>\n
According to Law No. 34\/2004 on the military, his term cannot
\nbe extended further as he will be 58 in April, the maximum
\nauthorized age for a high-ranking TNI officer.<\/p>\n
The question will then be who ought to succeed Endriartono as
\ncommander, especially after the TNI headquarters has explained
\nthat the opportunity to be named as the military's top position
\nis open to not only the most senior officer Gen. Ryamizard
\nRyacudu, the former Army Chief of Staff, but also the three newly
\nappointed chiefs of staff -- Lt. Gen. Djoko Santoso of the Army,
\nVice Adm. Slamet Soebiyanto of the Navy and Vice Marshal Djoko
\nSoeyanto of the Air Force.<\/p>\n
Prior to the reshuffle of the military chiefs of staff,
\nRyamizard was apparently the only eligible candidate for the top
\npost at the TNI headquarters, as the qualifications are that the
\ncommander must have held a chief of staff post and be under the
\nretirement age.<\/p>\n
However, the latest statement from TNI headquarters has not
\nmade it clear who the next commander will be, or when the
\nPresident will name him.<\/p>\n
All four officers apparently have an equal chance as Article
\n13 of the Law No. 34\/2004 stipulates that the President can only
\npick active senior officers who hold or have held at least a post
\nof chief of staff as TNI commander.<\/p>\n
Recently, it has been suggested that new Army chief of staff
\nDjoko Santoso could get the nod. His relatively noncontroversial
\ntrack record and media-shy style could make him the top
\ncontender. Foreign governments also seem to appreciate his
\ndiplomatic approach on many cases.<\/p>\n
His style is completely different from his predecessor
\nRyamizard, who is politically controversial due to his
\nno-quarter-given attitude and tough nationalistic stance against
\nseparatist movements in Aceh, Papua and Maluku provinces.<\/p>\n
Yet, if political aspects are ignored and the 2004 Military
\nLaw is adhered to down to the letter, the next TNI chief should
\nbe Air Force chief Djoko Soeyanto.<\/p>\n
Article 13 of the Military Law stipulates that the post of the
\nTNI Commander should be rotated equally among the three branches
\nof the military. And it is now the turn of an Air Force man to
\nlead the TNI because the last two TNI chiefs were from the Army
\nand Navy.<\/p>\n
But apart from the military law, a lower ruling -- the TNI's
\ninternal regulations -- suggests a completely different set of
\ndynamics since it states that new chiefs of staff can only be
\npromoted after having undergone their first three-month
\nperformance evaluation.<\/p>\n
Despite claims from TNI headquarters that all four are equally
\neligible for the top post, this often forgotten regulation could
\neffectively nullify the chances of the three other officers.<\/p>\n
The three new chiefs of staff were only appointed on Feb. 17
\nand they will not have completed their three month review when
\nEndriartono retires on April 29, due to his age.<\/p>\n
And if this is the case, Ryamizard's opportunity to become TNI
\nchief is wide open despite the fact that he himself will be
\nreaching the retirement age of 55 four days before Endriartono's
\n58th birthday -- the maximum age that President can extend
\nretirement.<\/p>\n
Despite these dynamics, Ryamizard may still be named if the
\nPresident favors him. The President is also allowed to put off
\nRyamizard's retirement by a year.<\/p>\n
Another factor in Ryamizard's favor is that he tops the
\nshortlist of candidates for TNI chief submitted by TNI
\nheadquarters to the President.<\/p>\n
Many things must happen before the President endorses
\nEndriartono's retirement request and appoints a new TNI chief;
\nthe consent of the House of Representatives being one of them.<\/p>\n
There are also some political considerations that President
\nSusilo Bambang Yudhoyono may ponder before naming a successor for
\nEndriartono.<\/p>\n
The President must appoint a TNI chief who will have strong
\ncontrol over the military, an institution that has been stripped
\nof its direct and active involvement in politics, but still has
\ngreat influence on the country's political affairs.<\/p>\n
Yet, the President, a retired general himself, must be very
\ncareful about how close he gets to the military, as he may have
\nlearned from his predecessor Megawati Soekarnoputri.<\/p>\n
The President must also consider the voices of the
\ninternational community, although it should not be the main
\nconsideration, before appointing the new TNI chief, especially as
\nit might be a sort of prerequisite before they resume military
\nties and cooperation with Indonesia.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/newsanalysis-1447899208",
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