ABRI committed to upholding democracy

JAKARTA (JP): Armed Forces (ABRI) Commander Gen. Feisal Tanjung declared last night the military's commitment to democratization, saying it never meant to fetter people's initiatives even as it strove to protect stability.

In a nationwide televised speech on the eve of ABRI's 52nd anniversary, Feisal pointed out that in the dynamic life of the nation, the military has persevered in its commitment to a democracy based on state-ideology Pancasila and the 1945 Constitution.

However, "Democratization is not a justification for the emergence of any unhealthy political thoughts and actions, (those) which have no direction, are radical, and which only disrupt stability," he said.

Instead, what the nation needs is democratization in the form of further political development, and greater political participation on the part of the people.

These, he said, "should be carried out in ways which are constitutional, wise and continuous so that the resulting dynamics suit the existing situation in the nation".

The approach taken by the military to preserve national stability has never been meant "to shackle people's creativity", he said.

"Stability is in essence a social convention to surrender some rights, for the sake of basic duties that should be carried out with others.

"It's an agreement to open opportunities for ... greater interest, namely the interest of the nation, while still protecting the interests of individuals and groups in accordance with the laws," he said.

Feisal pointed out the importance of such an approach in relation to next March's general session of the People's Consultative Assembly -- which will adopt new State Policy Guidelines and elect a president and vice president.

"Even though the assembly will take place in Jakarta ... I order all ABRI personnel ... to prepare and carry out security measures in their own regions," he said.

In another part of his speech, Feisal pledged that ABRI was taking a position known by the Javanese expression of tut wuri handayani, or stepping back and guiding from behind.

"All efforts of ABRI (are done) in tut wuri handayani for the establishment of a safe, orderly and dynamic situation," he said.

Critics have often said ABRI should gradually reduce its sociopolitical role, take a backseat and let civilians assume more influential, decision-making posts.

Separately, Indonesia's most senior military figure Gen. (ret) Abdul Haris Nasution again voiced his conviction of the need for ABRI's "guiding from behind" role.

Shortly after he was awarded an honorary five-star general rank on Wednesday, Nasution pointed out how times had changed and how ABRI members are now required to be more shrewd in interpreting their superiors' orders.

Nasution, known affectionately as Pak Nas, was the man who created the Armed Forces' dwi fungsi or dual function doctrine which allows ABRI a role in politics.

The former Army chief of staff recently said last year the doctrine had not been practiced in its original sense. Instead, it was used to justify the development of extra-constitutional institutions, he said.

Earlier this year, however, Feisal made clear that ABRI would stick to its dual defense and sociopolitical function in the foreseeable future, as the doctrine was part of the consensus of the nation to which ABRI had devoted its life.

"We don't want to overhaul the state's foundation. We don't have to change our system and abide by foreign systems which are completely different from ours," Feisal said in March.

Civilians

Another call for greater opportunity for civilians, however, was made even more recently by military observer Yahya Muhaimin. He said Thursday that ABRI should include civilians in national development efforts.

"Don't just go it alone, but take civilians along in the struggle to develop the country," said the dean of the Yogyakarta-based Gadjah Mada University's School of Social and Political Sciences.

He conceded that in certain aspects, ABRI personnel were more advanced than civilians, such as in leadership, discipline and the ability to follow superiors' orders.

However, "civilians should be given the opportunity to improve their quality and performance", he said. "I am sure that ABRI would be willing to give civilians those opportunities."

The government-run National Institute of Sciences needs to minimize its political role to allow democracy to flourish and political reform to take place. The institute said the military should reduce its political role in stages; from control through participation to eventually playing only a backseat role.

This process would necessitate ABRI easing its grip on political institutions and redefining its role as a check-and- balance force in the political arena. (swe/imn)