The military and politics<\/p>\n
Indonesians can sigh a deep breath of relief; the threat of a
\ndirect confrontation between the embattled President Abdurrahman
\nWahid on one side and the military, or TNI, and the House of
\nRepresentatives on the other has been averted -- for now.<\/p>\n
Persistent rumors of a deepening rift between the President
\nand the military over the possibility of a forced reshuffle of
\nthe military's top ranks kept Jakarta on its toes during the
\nweek, as spokesmen for President Abdurrahman \"Gus Dur\" Wahid kept
\ndenying speculation of an impending replacement of top officers
\nwithin the military.<\/p>\n
That possibility, whether real or perceived, provoked several
\nstrong public statements from the military to the effect that the
\nTNI would refuse to be drawn into day-to-day politics and, as a
\ntrue people's army, would remain faithful to \"the nation and the
\ncountry\". The tension was strong enough to lead the President to
\nsummon TNI chief Adm. Widodo A.S. on Tuesday to clarify the
\nmatter.<\/p>\n
At the core of the controversy is speculation that the
\nPresident intends to dissolve the House to prevent it from
\ncalling a special session of the People's Consultative Assembly,
\nwhich to all expectations would end in the President's
\nimpeachment.<\/p>\n
Under the 1945 Constitution, however, the President cannot
\ndissolve the legislature, nor can the House dismiss the chief
\nexecutive. As Abdurrahman and his legal advisers seem to perceive
\nit, in order for him to be able to dissolve the legislature a
\nstate of emergency, which gives the president extraordinary
\npowers, would have to be declared first, although even this is
\ndisputed by many legal experts.<\/p>\n
Since the military leadership so far appears unwilling to play
\nalong, the only option left for the President to achieve his
\nreported end is to replace the military leadership with officers
\nmore sympathetic to his situation.<\/p>\n
So far, the TNI seems to be steadfast in its stand that it
\nshall remain free from political interests. Here, however, lies
\nthe difficulty for the TNI in maintaining even the appearance of
\nconsistency. It is, of course, true that for more than 30 years
\nunder president Soeharto's New Order regime the military let
\nitself be completely politicized by becoming -- together with
\nGolkar and the bureaucracy -- one of the main pillars on which
\nSoeharto's authoritarian regime rested. The results, as can be
\nseen by everybody, were disastrous, producing an all-pervasive
\ncorruption, nepotism and mismanagement.<\/p>\n
In a sense, the TNI is correct in refusing to allow itself to
\nbe drawn into a situation similar to that which existed under
\nSoeharto's New Order and serve as a mere instrument in the power
\nplay that is at present being enacted on the Indonesian political
\nstage.<\/p>\n
However, one could well ask if by taking the opposite approach
\nand allowing the \"constitutional process\" by which Gus Dur could
\nin the end be impeached, the military is not engaging in another
\npolitical game. To confuse things even more, United States
\nAmbassador to Indonesia Robert Gelbard has reportedly advised the
\nmilitary to acknowledge the \"civilian leadership\". The question
\nis, which civilian leadership? The President's or the
\nConstitution's?<\/p>\n
In the meantime, Indonesians continue to live from one crisis
\nto another, from one uncertainty to another, from one hardship to
\nthe next, with no resolution in sight. Who is to blame? The
\nPresident blames the legislature's \"arrogance\". The legislature
\nblames the President's inconsistency, mismanagement and
\ncontroversial policies.<\/p>\n
It would seem though, that if Indonesians are serious about
\nbuilding a democratic society based on justice and prosperity for
\nall, everyone should respect the Constitution. If the necessity
\nof holding a special session of the Assembly is what the
\nConstitution indicates, let a special session be held. But under
\nall circumstances, let wisdom and statesmanship prevail. After
\nall, a humiliating impeachment is not the necessary result of an
\nAssembly special session. How wonderful it would be if a solution
\ncould be found that did not cause anyone to lose face.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/the-military-and-politics-1447899208",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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