ABRI needs to reduce its political role: LIPI report

JAKARTA (JP): The Armed Forces (ABRI) needs to minimize its political role to allow democracy to flourish and political reform to take place, the government-run National Institute of Sciences (LIPI) has recommended.

The institute said in a report that the military should reduce its political role in stages; from control through participation to eventually playing only a backseat role.

This process would involve ABRI easing its grip on political institutions and redefining its role as a check-and-balance force in the political arena.

"In the end ABRI should be represented only in the People's Consultative Assembly," said Indria Samego, who announced the research results yesterday.

ABRI is currently allocated 100 seats in the 500-seat House of Representatives. Critics say the military does not deserve that many, arguing that under the country's proportional representation system each house seat represents 400,000 people. ABRI currently has about 500,000 personnel.

After this year's general election ABRI's quota will be reduced to 75.

President Soeharto commissioned the research in February 1995. He also ordered the institute to study a more appropriate electoral system for Indonesia.

That research was completed last year. The findings have yet to be made public.

The study of ABRI's sociopolitical role was undertaken by Indria, Dewi Fortuna Anwar, Ikrar Nusa Bhakti, Maswadi Rauf, M. Hamdan Basyar, Riza Sihbudi and Sri Yuniarti.

Dwifungsi, the dual function doctrine that allows the military to assume both defense and political roles, has come under increasing public scrutiny as demands for greater democracy become more common, the research report says.

Under the doctrine ABRI members assume civilian administration posts, such as regents.

Indria said this often created legal confusion because the soldiers retain their military status and so it is not always clear whether they are supposed to answer to their military commanders or to the governor.

"Only if ABRI reduces its political role from control to participation will democratization in Indonesia work," said Ikrar.

He said the implementation of Dwifungsi had often strayed from the original intention, which was to bring ABRI closer to the people.

ABRI's dominance of practically all aspects of state affairs, from sport to political development, often tarnished its image.

Ikrar said the institute sees ABRI's control over internal security as tightening despite vociferous public calls for the opposite.

The establishment of crisis centers to prevent social unrest is an indication of this, he said.

Dewi Fortuna Anwar, an expert on regional issues, said that, unlike in Myanmar, a military government was not possible in Indonesia because of constitutional constraints.

Both Indonesia and Myanmar survived internal strife in the late 1950s and failed in their experimentations with western- style democracy.

The Indonesian military chose capitalism, which has proven to be relatively successful, while Myanmar opted for socialism, which plunged their country into poverty, she said.

"Indonesia could let its economic model serve as a blueprint for Myanmar," she said.

The following are LIPI's six recommendations concerning ABRI's sociopolitical role.

* For the sake of political reform, ABRI should reduce its control over political institutions.

* In socioeconomic matters, ABRI's role should focus on the eradication of poverty and better respect for human rights.

* ABRI officers' presence in the bureaucracy should be limited to institutions that deal with security.

* ABRI's sociopolitical role should aim at improving Indonesia's diplomatic standing in international forums.

* ABRI should expand its role in human resources development from merely dealing with illiteracy eradication.

* ABRI should serve as a model in law enforcement and civil empowerment, where the public believes that ABRI is not exempt from obeying the law. (pan)