Analysts call for TNI chief from Air Force

Kurniawan Hari and Tiarma Siboro, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Several analysts are calling for the appointment of an Air Force officer as the Indonesian Military (TNI) chief to replace Gen. Endriartono Sutarto, the Army general who resigned from his post last week.

Salim Said of the University of Indonesia and Indria Samego of the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) argued on Monday that the Army, Navy and Air Force were supposed to be equal and therefore they should also be given the chance to lead the TNI on a rotating basis.

Prior to Endriartono's appointment by President Megawati Soekarnoputri in 2001, the TNI chief post was occupied by Widodo A.S., a Navy admiral, who became the first Navy chief to get the top post in more than three decades. However, Megawati appointed last week Army chief Gen. Ryamizard Ryacudu as acting TNI head.

During former president Soeharto's iron-fisted leadership -- he was also an Army man -- from 1966 to 1998, the TNI post, then called the Indonesian Armed Forces chief, was reserved exclusively for the Army.

Most people in the country expected that Megawati, who became president after the People's Consultative Assembly ousted Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid in 2001, would appoint an Air Force officer as her military commander, but she appointed Endriartono instead.

"An equal rotation among the three military branches would be fair because technically each of the three is equal," Salim Said told The Jakarta Post Monday.

Indria suggested that a fair leadership rotation among the Army, Air Force, and Navy should begin now, before legislation that requires such a rotation goes into effect.

In the new military bill the House of Representatives (DPR) endorsed on Sept. 30, lawmakers agreed to insert a clause saying that the post of TNI chief be may be rotated among the Army, Navy and Air Force.

The bill will come into effect 30 days after its endorsement, with or without the President's signature.

Discussions on who should get the military's top post surfaced late last week following the decision by Megawati, whose term ends in eight days, to appoint Ryamizard as the TNI chief following the resignation of Endriartono.

Ryamizard's appointment has raised questions on whether Megawati should have left such an important decision to president-elect Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

Under the Constitution, the president, who also serves as the supreme commander of the country's military, has the authority to appoint the TNI chief pending House approval.

House and party leaders held a consultation meeting on Monday to discuss Ryamizard's appointment as acting TNI chief.

At the end of the meeting, the leaders agreed to bring up the resignation of Endriartono and the appointment of Ryamizard at a plenary meeting on Friday, Oct. 15.

House Speaker Agung Laksono said that Endriartono technically was still the TNI chief until the House made its decision.

Separately, Susilo and vice president-elect Jusuf Kalla discussed Endriartono's resignation on Monday. The closed-door meeting was also attended by current Minister of Justice and Human Rights Yusril Ihza Mahendra and former TNI commander Adm. (ret) Widodo A.S.

Speaking to the press after the meeting, Yusril said that the resignation of Endriartono was still being discussed at the House, and therefore Endriartono remained the TNI chief.

Meanwhile, TNI spokesman Maj. Gen. Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin said on Monday that his office had sent out telegrams declaring that Endriartono was still the TNI chief.

"As long as the discussion in the House is still in the process, the chain of command of TNI remains in the control of Endriartono until the appointment of the new TNI chief," he said.