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)