593 senior officers opt to leave military
JAKARTA (JP): A total of 593 middle and high-ranking military officers, many with strategic positions in the bureaucracy and current Cabinet, declared on Tuesday their decision to leave the military.
Their departure was marked in a ceremony led by Minister of Defense and Security/Indonesian Military (TNI) chief Gen. Wiranto at TNI Headquarters in Cilangkap, East Jakarta.
Also present were Army chief Gen. Subagyo Hadisiswoyo, Navy chief Admiral Widodo A.S., Air Force chief Marshal Hanafie Asnan, chief of TNI Territorial Affairs Lt. Gen. Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and TNI spokesman Maj. Gen. Syamsul Ma'arif.
Lt. Gen. Yunus Yosfiah and Lt. Gen. Tamlicha Ali, respectively the information minister and the secretary-general of the Ministry of Mining and Energy, were among the officers leaving the military.
A further 1,393 officers accepted early pension packages.
Their decisions came in line with the dissolution of the personnel assignment department in the organization. Military officers assigned to nonmilitary service now have three options of either leaving military service, taking early retirement or returning to military service.
Wiranto said after the ceremony that Attorney General Andi M. Ghalib, who is a lieutenant general, also chose to leave military service, but Lt. Gen. A. Hendropriyono, the minister of transmigration and resettlement of forest nomads, opted for a return to duty.
Ghalib did not attend the ceremony as he, along with Minister of Justice and Minister/State Secretary Muladi, is still in Switzerland.
Wiranto said President B.J. Habibie would decide when Hendropriyono would return to military service.
He indicated, however, that Hendropriyono would in the meantime remain in his ministerial position because the President had no immediate plans to reshuffle his Cabinet.
Hendropriyono has been tipped to succeed Gen. Subagyo.
The TNI chief said officers leaving service were part of a total of 6,002 servicemen assigned to nonmilitary service, whose duties included the national, provincial or regency legislatures.
Wiranto insisted that TNI executed 14 substantial changes in its organization to conform to a reform program. "The dissolution of the personnel assignment department is one of the 14 changes."
He said others included the separation of the National Police from the military, the phasing-out of the sociopolitical affairs department, the military withdrawal from day-to-day practical politics and the review of military doctrines.
Amendment
Asked to comment on proposed amendments to the 1945 Constitution, Gen. Wiranto insisted the military considered the Constitution and the Pancasila state ideology held fundamental values.
"To TNI, the Constitution and Pancasila's basic values stipulate the nation's way of life, the country's political system and national unity."
Proreform political parties, student activists and experts have called for amendments to the Constitution because they consider its contents are outdated.
Wiranto said the military would not discuss the Constitution and Pancasila with individuals and third parties fighting for their own interests.
"TNI will discuss an amendment to the Constitution with dedicated people and parties committed to complying with the Constitution and Pancasila and maintaining national unity," he said. (rms)