Commission I tasked to fix TNI quandry

Commission I tasked to fix TNI quandry

Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The House of Representatives agreed on Friday to charge the House
defense commission with discussing the resignation of Indonesian
Military (TNI) chief Gen. Endriartono Sutarto and the appointment
of Army chief Gen. Ryamizard Ryacudu as acting TNI chief.

House Speaker Agung Laksono said after a House plenary meeting
here that the commission would seek clarification from
Endriartono and summon Ryamizard for a selection hearing.

"This is the best consensus we can achieve. We hope we will see
the outcome before Oct. 20," said Agung, referring to the date
set for the inauguration of president-elect Susilo Bambang
Yudhoyono and his running mate Jusuf Kalla.

The appointment of Ryamizard as acting TNI commander has drawn
criticism as it was done by outgoing President Megawati
Soekarnoputri, who will end her term on Oct. 20.

In her letter dated Oct. 8, Megawati asked the House to
approve Endriartono's resignation and appoint Ryamizard as
acting military chief. Endriartono is now 57 years old, while the
military's mandatory retirement age is 55.

During the plenary meeting on Friday, legislators were
polarized into two groups -- those who endorsed the change and
those who opposed it.

Four factions -- Golkar, the Indonesian Democratic Party of
Struggle (PDIP), the Prosperous Peace Party (PDS) and the Reform
Star Party (PBR) -- called for the establishment of a special
committee to discuss Endriartono's replacement immediately.

However, six other factions -- the United Development Party
(PPP), the Democratic Party (PD), the National Mandate Party
(PAN), the National Awakening Party (PKB), the Prosperous Justice
Party (PKS), and the Democratic Pioneer Star party (BPD) --
wanted to delay discussing the issue until after the inauguration
of president-elect Susilo.

Happy Bone Zulkarnaen of Golkar argued that Endriartono could
not fulfill his duties as he had resigned and therefore needed to
be replaced immediately.

Mahfud M.D. of the PKB, however, suggested that the House
delay discussing the TNI leadership change, pending the
inauguration of the new president.

After closed-door talks among the faction leaders, the House
agreed to set up its 11 Commissions and assigned the House
defense commission to discuss the TNI chief's replacement.

Sutjipto, the chairman of the PDIP faction, said meanwhile
that the new president would have the power to appoint someone
else to replace Ryamizard.

However, he added: "If the new president wants to appoint
someone else as TNI chief, he must still seek the approval of the
House."

Many analysts and members of the public want to see the
government appointing an Air Force officer to replace
Endriartono, who is an Army general.

The newly-endorsed military bill states that the position of
TNI chief may be rotated among the Army, Navy and Air Force.

Army officers dominated the post for decades until 1999, when
then president Abdurrahman Wahid appointed a Navy admiral, Widodo
A.S., as TNI chief.

Many had hoped that Megawati, who was ushered into the
presidential post in mid-2001 after the People's Consultative
Assembly ousted Abdurrahman, ostensibly for incompetence, but she
decided to appoint Endriartono, an Army general, as TNI chief
instead.