Party leaders back bill that empowers TNI<\/p>\n
M. Taufiqurrahman, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Leaders of two political parties have thrown their weight behind
\na controversial bill giving the Indonesian Military (TNI) greater
\npower in deploying personnel to conflict-torn areas.<\/p>\n
Chairman of the Golkar Party Akbar Tandjung and chairman of
\nthe National Mandate Party (PAN) Amien Rais said on Saturday that
\nit was reasonable for the military to take extra-constitutional
\nmeasures in the event of an emergency.<\/p>\n
Golkar is the second biggest faction in the House of
\nRepresentatives (DPR), while PAN is the fifth largest.<\/p>\n
Giving greater power back to the military to take extra-
\nconstitutional measures in a state of emergency was justifiable,
\nif it was aimed at maintaining the country's unity, said Akbar,
\nwho is also House Speaker.<\/p>\n
"When immediate action is needed to restore order in some
\nareas, but at the same time, there is no way to get direct
\napproval from the president, the military has the right to deploy
\nits personnel," Akbar said after a meeting for the party's top
\nbrass here on Saturday.<\/p>\n
Akbar, who was found guilty of corruption and sentenced to
\nthree years in jail by the Central Jakarta District Court for his
\nrole in a scandal involving the National Logistics Agency
\n(Bulog), was referring to Article 19 of the military bill. The
\narticle authorizes the TNI commander to deploy troops to strife-
\ntorn regions without the prior approval of the president.<\/p>\n
Amien, who is also chairman of the People's Consultative
\nAssembly (MPR), the country's highest legislative assembly,
\ndefended the article, saying the military leadership needed such
\nauthority.<\/p>\n
"The TNI commander needs the power to deploy troops to protect
\nthe state from a sudden threat without having first to ask for
\nthe president's approval," Amien was quoted by Antara as saying
\nin Yogyakarta on Saturday.<\/p>\n
Amien, who was once a strong critic of the powerful military,
\nsaid that it was an exaggeration to say that such power would
\ntempt the military to seize power for itself.<\/p>\n
Amien defended the military by saying that it would not have
\nthe courage to stage a coup d'etat, as the people would rise up
\nagainst such a move.<\/p>\n
"The fear of the possibility of a military comeback proves
\nthat many of us are still traumatized by past experiences," Amien
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
TNI, Amien said, would not misuse its might, as it was fully
\naware that its origins lay with the people.<\/p>\n
The bill, which was drafted by the military-dominated Ministry
\nof Defense, is now with State Secretary Bambang Kesowo for
\nPresident Megawati Soekarnoputri to sign before it is submitted
\nto the House for deliberation.<\/p>\n
The bill, if approved, will contradict the amended 1945
\nConstitution, which stipulates that the president, in his or her
\ncapacity as TNI Supreme Commander, has the sole authority to
\ndeclare war and order a military deployment to a war zone.<\/p>\n
The Constitution, which MPR members amended during Amien's
\ntenure as chairman, also states that the president also has the
\npower to impose curfews in troubled areas after obtaining
\napproval from the House.<\/p>\n
The bill also runs contrary to Law No. 3\/2002 on state
\ndefense, which clearly states that the president has the
\nauthority and responsibility to deploy TNI personnel, after
\nsecuring approval from the House.<\/p>\n
Strong opposition has also come from analysts, who cautioned
\nthat the bill provided room for TNI to make a comeback onto the
\ncountry's political stage.<\/p>\n
The widespread opposition stems from the New Order era, when
\nthe powerful military unswervingly supported former president
\nSoeharto's repressive regime for more than three decades. Their
\ndominating political role, however, ended with Soeharto's forced
\nresignation in May 1998.<\/p>\n
MPR members had also agreed to end the military's presence in
\nthe assembly in 2004.<\/p>",
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