Bimantoro rejects ambassadorial post
JAKARTA (JP): Defiant National Police chief Gen. Surojo Bimantoro said on Monday that he accepted his dismissal by President Abdurrahman Wahid but had refused the President's offer to appoint him as Indonesian ambassador to Malaysia.
"I personally, and my family, offer not a thousand, but a million thanks to the President for the respect he has shown me by offering this post of the ambassadorship to Malaysia.
"With all due respect, we cannot accept this offer due to a number of limitations on my part. I offer my deepest apologies on this matter," Bimantoro told reporters at National Police headquarters on Monday.
Bimantoro said he fully accepted his dismissal as National Police chief and requested that Presidential Decree No. 49/2001 on his dismissal be studied and processed by the House of Representatives.
"The replacement of a National Police chief is the President's right as the head of state, even if this has to be first agreed upon by the House.
"This decision is the right of the President ... I accept it."
Top police officials stated after a meeting at National Police headquarters that they accepted the dismissal but said that Bimantoro would still function as National Police chief until the House officially sanctions his dismissal.
President Abdurrahman Wahid insisted that Bimantoro had no other choice but to abide by the decision of the President, whom he described as the police's supreme commander, to send him as an envoy to Kuala Lumpur.
"When the commander in chief decides something, it must be obeyed. Otherwise, the subordinate will be declared guilty of insubordination," the President said before leaving the Bina Graha presidential office on Monday.
The 1945 Constitution stipulates that the President holds supreme authority over the Army, Navy and Air Force. The police also come under the President's direct control.
Abdurrahman suspended Bimantoro in late May and appointed Comr. Gen. Chaeruddin Ismail as National Police deputy chief to perform the day-to-day duties of the police chief.
Bimantoro then challenged his suspension and continued working as National Police chief, with the open support of top police commanders.
Chaeruddin said in Bandung, West Java, on Monday that he was not worried about his official installation as the National Police chief.
"It will be done very, very soon. An official replacement could occur anytime, within seconds or days.
"I repeat, there is no dual leadership in the National Police. All the problems regarding this matter have been solved. Everything will be made clear, given time," Chaeruddin said.
Chaeruddin, however, seems to be lacking support from senior police officers, as well as political backing from the House.
Leaders of seven House factions stated on Monday that they still recognized Bimantoro as the sole National Police chief and suggested that the People's Consultative Assembly bring forward the special session to demand the President to account for his time in office.
The factions were the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) faction, the Golkar Party faction, the United Development Party faction, the Reform faction, the Crescent Star Party faction, the Indonesian Nationhood faction and the United People's Sovereignty Party faction.
Representatives from the Indonesian Military and National Police faction were present at the press conference given by the seven faction but they refrained from signing the statement.
Bimantoro's dismissal even drew fire from the National Awakening Party, the President's sole supporter in the House. Chairman Matori Abdul Djalil said that President's supporters regretted the move.
"The President's statement dismissing the National Police chief will pave way for the possibility of accelerating the Assembly's special session and close the door on compromise so as to reach a win-win solution," Matori remarked on Monday.
Assembly Speaker Amien Rais said that there was no major reason for accelerating the special session, adding that the session would still be held on Aug. 1 as scheduled. (ylt/dja/prb/25)