Better relations between Moslems and govt forecast

Better relations between Moslems and govt forecast

YOGYAKARTA (JP): The appointment of Gen. R. Hartono as Army chief of staff will further bolster the government's relations with Moslem groups in the country, a political analyst says.

Riswandha Imawan of the Gadjah Mada University said the appointment not only benefits the Armed Forces (ABRI) which also needs to maintain cordial relations with Moslem groups.

The government, whose image has been dented in recent years by a series of scandals and incidents, will reap benefits through the rise of Hartono to the helm of the Army given the respect he commands from the country's political forces, particularly the Moslems, Riswandha told reporters yesterday.

Hartono was appointed as Army chief of staff by President Soeharto last week to replace Gen. Wismoyo Arismunandar. His appointment, a prerogative of the President, is part of a major reshuffle in ABRI's top leadership. The Army is by far the largest and politically most powerful services in ABRI which also includes the Navy, the Air Force and the National Police.

Riswandha said the government and the ruling political group Golkar have suffered a series of setbacks in the last two years, including the Nipah shooting of farmers, the abolition of the SDSB lottery and the massive corruption at state-owned Bapindo.

"In some of these incidents, the interests of the government and the Moslem groups conflicted," said the staff lecturer at the university's School of Social and Political Sciences.

Riswandha said Hartono will have no problem in communicating with Moslem groups given his intimacy with leaders of the Nahdlatul Ulama, the largest Moslem organizations in the country.

In his previous capacity as ABRI chief of socio-political affairs, Hartono traveled extensively to meet with ulemas that he earned the title of a santri general. The word santri means Moslem scholars. He has said that he would continue this tradition in his new job.

Issues

Riswandha said Hartono could also help the government deal with such issues as human rights and the debate on civil society that had already been started by university intellectuals.

"You can no longer deal with these issue using `war management' concepts. The government is expected to use a more persuasive and educative approach," he said. "For this purpose, the government needs to present more intellectual figures from the military to the forefront. Hartono is one of them."

Hartono, according to Riswandha, is no stranger to the academy world.

He was the youngest among the Class 1962 graduates of the National Military Academy. He is also an alumnae of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College. He was commander of the ABRI Staff and Command School and was governor of the National Defense Institute, the military's think tank group.

Riswandha said he believed Hartono's appointment is crucial to ensure a smooth presidential election in 1998, the year in which Soeharto might decide to step down or stay at the helm, depending on the political circumstances of the time.

He predicted that conflicts between the various political groups will intensify in the run up to the 1998 election.

The presence of a figure of Hartono's caliber will be vital in ensuring stability during that crucial year, Riswandha said. (har/mun/emb)