ABRI is for the people

It was published in Kompas on March 19, 1999, that the Supreme Advisory Council's chairman, Baramuli, was publicly seeking "coalition" with the Armed Forces (ABRI) to win votes in the coming elections.

Indeed, it is time now for Gen. Wiranto and ABRI to fully and convincingly correct Hartono's gesture of wearing the yellow jacket of the Functional Group (Golkar) when he was ABRI's commander.

Such a gesture and statement from Hartono that ABRI is Golkar confused us. Is ABRI a party, fully identified with Golkar? Or is this the "past" that contravenes ABRI's sapta marga (oath) and that ABRI is now back to basics, i.e. above all parties and groupings, functioning purely for unity and security of this country and its people?

From various instances, it is now obvious that we are seeing action by people lacking respect for ABRI and not considering ABRI as coming from the people and being for the people.

That ABRI was used by Soeharto might be a fact, just as Golkar was a creation by Soeharto, as were the civil servants Corps (Korpri) and Dharma Wanita organization.

So now comes the corrective moves and action: to be clear-cut, clean and transparent. Does ABRI agree with Baramuli or not? Wiranto has to clarify ABRI's stance.

Y. SANTO

Jakarta