Bimantoro to return his baton

JAKARTA (JP): After a letter from his military secretary incited uproar among the police, President Abdurrahman Wahid issued a decree on Friday ordering the outgoing National Police chief Gen. Surojo Bimantoro to return the command baton and all command attributes to the President pending the appointment of the new police chief.

Coordinating Minister for Political, Social, and Security Affairs Gen. (ret.) Agum Gumelar told reporters that Bimantoro had agreed to hand over all the command symbols to him.

"I understand the feeling among the National Police in facing these sudden changes due to the issuance of some presidential decrees. But as the President himself had issued the decree to dismiss Pak Bimantoro, all of this confusion I hope can be resolved," Agum said.

"In a normal reshuffle, the outgoing Police chief would hand over his baton to his successor. But as the new Police chief has yet to be selected, Pak Bimantoro must return his baton to his superior, that is the President," Agum said.

The Presidential Decree No. 89/2000 on the separation of the Indonesian Military (TNI) and the National Police stipulates that the Police falls directly under the President's supervision.

But according to a People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) decree, issued in August last year, the appointment and dismissal of TNI and Police chiefs requires a prior approval from the House of Representatives (DPR).

Bimantoro's appointment last year however did not receive prior approval from the House. Last month the President dismissed Bimantoro and announced a plan to appoint him as ambassador to Malaysia.

According to Agum, the President set a Friday deadline for Bimantoro to fulfill the order. But in view of Bimantoro's trip to East Java that day, the President agreed to extend the deadline until Saturday.

"Tomorrow (Saturday), Pak Bimantoro is scheduled to meet with the President during which he is expected to settle all of these matters," Agum said.

On Wednesday Bimantoro had told Agum that he accepted his dismissal, but requested that the President issue another order asking him to return his command baton.

However Presidential Military Secretary Vice Marshall Budhy Santoso provoked controversy on Thursday by sending a letter to Bimantoro on the President's behalf, asking Bimantoro to immediately transfer his power and all attributes to the President through Agum.

Agum acknowledged the administrative fault.

"But the mistake has been corrected today, and the order now has been signed by the President himself," Agum said.

"We have informed Pak Bimantoro about the correction."

In response to Budhy letter, National Police spokesman Insp. Gen. Didi Widayadi said on Friday that the handing over of the command and attributes of a National Police chief, represented a "lawful authority followed by nearly 200,000 police officers nationwide; most of them are armed."

The President appointed Chaeruddin as National Police deputy chief and empowered him to carry out day-to-day duties of National Police chief following his decision to dismiss Bimantoro.

Chaeruddin met with the President at Merdeka Palace. He could not hide his annoyance at Bimantoro's refusal to surrender his power.

"The problem is there is an appointment and there is a rejection to give up his position. A dismissed official must be ready to hand over his power," Chaeruddin said of Bimantoro's reluctance.

Separately, the House of Representatives (DPR) Speaker Akbar Tandjung reminded the President on Friday of regulations in changing the National Police chief.

"It seems as if the President is the National Police chief ... I am reminding the President to do this according to the regulations," he said commenting on the President's order to hand over Bimantoro's power to him.

He asserted that the President needs the House's approval if he wishes to replace the National Police chief.

Assembly Speaker Amien Rais said he was shocked by Abdurrahman's latest move, and suggested that the President stop creating controversy ahead of the Assembly special session.

"I only wish to remind people that we have a commitment to do everything according to the Constitution," Amien said. (tso/ylt/dja/)