Endriartono closer to TNI chief post
Endriartono closer to TNI chief post
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Army Chief of Staff Gen. Endriartono Sutarto moved a step closer
to the Indonesian Military (TNI)'s top post after current TNI
chief Adm. Widodo A.S. extended Endriartono's term of service
another five years.
The extension will allow Sutarto, who will reach the mandatory
retirement age of 55 late in April, to serve until 2007.
Widodo said on Thursday the TNI was still in need of
Endriartono's services, but he stopped short of saying if the
extension of Endriartono's term of service was related to the
race for the TNI's top post.
"It is a common thing to prolong an officer's period of
service as part of the personnel development in the TNI. The main
reason is because we still need him (Endriartono) to conduct his
duties," Widodo said after a Cabinet meeting.
The prerogative to appoint a TNI chief belongs to the
president as the supreme commander of the armed forces, according
to the Constitution. But People's Consultative Assembly decree
No. VII/2000 on the role of the military and the police
stipulates that the nomination and dismissal of the TNI commander
is subject to approval from the House of Representatives.
Widodo signed Decree No. 199/II/2002 on Feb. 28, which extends
Endriartono's career from May 1, 2002, through April 30, 2007.
Widodo also had his term of service extended before taking up
the TNI top job in 1999.
A TNI internal regulation stipulates that the TNI chief has
the prerogative to extend an officer's term of service. A full
general can be awarded an extension of up to five years, a
lieutenant general up to four years, a major general up to three
years, a brigadier general up to two years and a colonel one
year.
The TNI chief is supposed to give the president prior notice
regarding the career planning of a four-star general.
House legislator Djoko Susilo of the Reform faction said
Widodo's decision indicated that Endriartono would be nominated
as the new TNI chief, over nearest rival and Army chief of staff
predecessor Gen. Tyasno Sudarto.
Megawati has reportedly ordered that one nominee be selected
to be presented to the House.
Although he did not object to the possible nomination of
Endriartono, Djoko questioned if enough thought had gone into the
decision.
He suggested that the next commander of the military come from
the Air Force, in attempt to uphold fairness among the nation's
armed forces.
The chairman of House Commission I for political and security
affairs, Ibrahim Ambong, said he had not received a copy of a
letter from President Megawati Soekarnoputri regarding the
nomination of the new TNI chief.
"If we received such a letter, the nomination would be
announced at a plenary meeting on Monday," Ambong told The
Jakarta Post.
Sources close to the TNI told the Post that Megawati would
forward Endriartono's nomination for TNI chief to the House on
March 22, the day when Endriartono hands over the Army chief post
to the Army's Strategic Reserves Command (Kostrad) chief Lt. Gen.
Ryamizard Ryacudu.
Megawati will install the new TNI chief after she returns from
an overseas trip on April 5, the sources said.
But Widodo refused to confirm the change of guard in the Army.
"I haven't heard anything about that," he said.