Air Force ready to take TNI top post: Hanafie

Air Force ready to take TNI top post: Hanafie

Tiarma Siboro, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Air Force Chief Marshall Hanafie Asnan welcomed on Sunday support
for the rotation of the Indonesian Military (TNI) chief post
among the Army, Navy and Air Force, but said that he would leave
it to the legislators to decide.

Speaking to the media on the sidelines of a drill for the Air
Force' 56th anniversary celebrations at Halim Perdanakusuma air
base in East Jakarta, Hanafie stressed that it was the
legislators' prerogative to make such a political decision.

"I am glad that some legislators are currently proposing that
the next TNI chief should come from the Air Force. It's their
task to make a political decision on the issue. We, the military,
will just follow as we are not permitted to be involved in
day-to-day politics," Hanafie said on Sunday.

Earlier, Lt. Gen. Agus Widjojo, former TNI chief for
territorial affairs and MPR deputy speaker, suggested that the
position of TNI chief be rotated among Army, Air Force and Navy
officers "in order to create professionalism within the
military."

People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) Speaker Amien Rais shared
Agus' opinion, calling on both the government and the House of
Representatives (DPR) to enact a law regulating the rotation of
TNI chief post among the Army, Navy and Air Force.

TNI is currently led by Widodo A.S., a Navy admiral whose
military service has been extended twice. His appointment in 1999
as TNI chief by former president Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid
broke more than three decades of dominance by the Army under the
leadership of former authoritarian leader Soeharto.

Many had expected that Widodo's appointment would pave the way
for the rotation of TNI chief post among the Army, Navy and Air
Force, under which the next TNI chief would come the Air Force.

But the recent extension of the military service of Army Chief
of Staff Endriartono Sutarto has triggered speculation that
President Megawati Soekarnoputri, as the TNI Supreme Commander,
would appoint an Army officer as the next TNI chief.

The extension of service of a military officer is decided by
the President upon the recommendation of incumbent TNI chief and
other high-ranking military officers.

According to Agus, an Air Force officer should now be promoted
to the top position considering that none of its personnel had
ever been appointed as TNI chief.

A defense law enacted in November 2001 stipulates that the TNI
chief should be chosen from among the incumbent or former chiefs
of staff of the Army, Air Force and Navy. As such, four high-
ranking military officers qualify for the job and they are former
Army chief Gen. Tyasno Sudarto, Army Chief of Staff Gen.
Endriartono Sutarto, Air Force Chief of Staff Marshall Hanafie
Asnan, and Navy Chief of Staff Adm. Indroko Sastrowiryono.

If the rotation system is already in place, the next TNI chief
should be Marshal Hanafie Asnan.

Hanafie, a 1969 Air Force Academy graduate, had once had a
close relationship with Gus Dur. Many had speculated that the
extension of his term of office in November 2000 was aimed at
allowing him to take the top position in TNI.

Hanafie further said on Sunday that the Air Force was
continually preparing its personnel to hold any post at the TNI
headquarters, including the top post.

He, however, refused to comment on whether or not he was ready
to be the TNI chief, saying only that "it was the President's
prerogative to decide."

The Air Force anniversary falls on April 9. President Megawati
and TNI Chief Admiral Widodo reportedly will not be attending the
celebrations.