Air Force wants turn to lead TNI
Air Force wants turn to lead TNI
Tiarma Siboro, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Outgoing Air Force Chief of Staff Marshall Chappy Hakim has
suggested that the President consider a high ranking Air Force
officer as the next commander in chief of the Indonesian Military
(TNI), saying that a rotation among the three forces in leading
the TNI was in line with the spirit of the existing law on the
military.
He said that such a rotation would "promote equality, justice
and respect among the three branches of the military."
"I believe that the President has his own considerations in
selecting an officer for the top TNI post. No matter who becomes
TNI's next leader, it must be the President's best decision," the
Air Marshall said on Wednesday at a press conference with newly
appointed Air Force Chief of Staff Vice Marshall Djoko Soeyanto.
"If he picks an Army officer ... that will be good. If he
picks the Navy officer ... that will be better ... (but) it would
be best if he picks an officer from the Air Force and put the
rotation system into operation."
He made the comments amid reports that President Susilo
Bambang Yudhoyono is planning to replace the current TNI
Commander Gen. Endriartono Sutarto in the near future as part of
an overall reshuffle within the military. He has recently
appointed three new chiefs of staff of the military.
According to Law No. 34/2004 on the military, the President
can only pick active senior officers who have held the post of
chief of staff to be eligible as TNI commander.
Chappy, as well as former Navy chief Adm. Bernard Kent
Sondakh, are not eligible for the top post because they passed
retirement age two years ago. Meanwhile, the previous army
chief, Gen. Ryamizard Ryacudu, could still be promoted into the
top post as he has yet to reach retirement age.
The law on the military stipulates that chiefs of staff of the
three branches of the military should take turns in leading the
TNI, meaning that Djoko Soeyanto should be named, because the
last two TNI leaders were from the Army and Navy respectively.
"If the TNI consists of three forces -- the Army, the Navy and
the Air Force -- then the rotation system is unavoidable. And we
(the Air Force) are ready to take up the opportunity," Chappy
stressed.
Djoko, who sat beside Chappy during the press conference, just
smiled and did not comment on his senior's statement.
Chappy will hand over the force's command baton to Djoko today
in a ceremony at Halim Perdanakusuma Airbase in southern Jakarta.