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.