Ex-general places trust in civilians

Ex-general places trust in civilians

JAKARTA (JP): The Armed Forces (ABRI) most senior figure, Gen.
(ret) Abdul Haris Nasution, dismissed speculation yesterday that
civilians lacked the necessary skills and abilities associated
with becoming presidency.

Speaking to reporters at his residence in Menteng area,
Central Jakarta, Nasution said it would not bother him if a
civilian became president.

"I wouldn't be worried if a civilian led the country," he
said.

Nasution, former chief of the Provisional People's
Consultative Assembly between 1966 and 1972, said everybody,
whether civilian or military, had the right to become the state
leader.

Nasution was responding to a recent statement by deputy
governor of the military think tank the National Resilience
Institute, Juwono Sudarsono, that ABRI members were better
qualified for the presidency and that they should lead the
country for at least another five years.

Nasution regretted Juwono's statement, which he said was
irrelevant to the present situation.

"There shouldn't be any civilian-ABRI dichotomy," he said.

He said Indonesia's first vice president Mohammad Hatta
stressed the importance of reducing ABRI members' sociopolitical
authority nearly 50 years ago.

Nasution also said that he had repeatedly discussed the issue
with senior military members and the House of Representatives,
but received little response.

Nasution, 78, is one of the most respected military figures in
the country. Throughout his illustrious career he has held many
senior positions in ABRI.

He also survived the 1966 abortive communist coup in which he
was a prime assassination target.

Dichotomy

ABRI spokesman Brig. Gen. Wahab Mokodongan also shared
Nasution's opinion.

"The ABRI-civilian dichotomy is an outdated issue," he told
reporters at his office yesterday.

Speaking about the opportunity for civilians to reach the
country's top position, Wahab suggested that such a request be
delivered to the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR).

The 1,000-member MPR will convene in March to elect a
president and vice president and will draw up the State Policy
Guidelines.

Meanwhile, political observers Riswandha Imawan and Soehardjo
described Juwono's statement as groundless.

Riswandha said Juwono underestimated the capability of
civilians as if it was far below that of the military.

"Everybody knows there is no regulation stipulating that state
leaders must come from either the Armed Forces or civilians,"
Riswandha, a lecturer at Yogyakarta-based Gadjah Mada
University's School of Social and Political Science, said
yesterday.

He said Juwono's statement was made as if the country was
still in a state of emergency which needed the control of
military leaders.

"Everybody knows that the country's sociopolitical situation
is stable," he said. "He can't say that only ABRI members can
perform state duties."

But Riswandha also said that Juwono's statement also indicated
the New Order government's failure to produce qualified leaders.

Separately in Semarang, Central Java, Soehardjo pointed out
that there were many civilian figures who met the requirements of
becoming president.

"Juwono must have forgotten that the country's independence
was initiated by two civilian figures -- Sukarno and Hatta," he
said, referring to the country's first president and vice
president.

Soehardjo, a constitutional law professor at Diponegoro
University, described Juwono's statement as a setback and
slanderous.

"Civilians and ABRI members should cooperate to make the
national development program a success," he said. (imn/har)

Leadership -- Page 4