Ex-rivals SBY, Wiranto have 'small talk' at presidential office
Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta
Long-time comrades President Gen. (ret) Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and former presidential rival Gen. (ret) Wiranto held a brief reunion on Friday.
The two former generals met for 20 minutes at the presidential office to reminisce and chat, said Wiranto, a former commander of the Indonesian Military (TNI), in response to questions as to whether the TNI leadership issue was raised.
The issue of who is the legitimate TNI chief -- incumbent TNI chief Gen. Endriartono Sutarto, who tendered his resignation during the final days of Megawati Soekarnoputri's term, or Army chief of staff Gen. Ryamizard Ryacudu -- is yet to be resolved, with the House of Representatives divided over the matter.
"We were just sharing stories, as we used to be colleagues. I merely expressed my hope that he could be a good leader who lived up to the people's aspirations," Wiranto said after the meeting.
Wiranto stressed that, although the two were rivals in the presidential race, he now had a moral obligation to support Susilo.
The two have a shared history in the armed forces and in politics.
A video footage of the 1998 May riots in Jakarta shows Gen. Wiranto as then-TNI commander appealing to a crowd to calm down. Standing behind him is Susilo, then a lieutenant general and the TNI chief of social and political affairs, and among Wiranto's close aides at the time.
The two also held Cabinet positions in 1999 under former president Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid, until Wiranto was dismissed by Gus Dur for his alleged involvement in human rights abuses during that year's referendum in East Timor.
Susilo was then named Wiranto's successor as coordinating minister for political and security affairs, relinquishing his post as minister of energy.
Their paths crossed once again when the two raced against each other and three other candidates in the first direct presidential election this year: Wiranto under the Golkar Party banner after a surprise victory in the first party convention; and Susilo as the sole candidate of the new Democratic Party, which he founded.
Their paths diverged as Wiranto, along with Amien Rais and former vice president Hamzah Haz, was eliminated in the first round in July, while Susilo went on to the runoff and defeated Megawati Soekarnoputri on Sept. 20.
The two generals were observed embracing each other in greeting as Wiranto stepped into Susilo's office, where they talked at a table in front of the President's desk.
Both were smiling broadly as Susilo escorted Wiranto out of the office.
Wiranto refused to say whether he was invited by the President, and sped off in a waiting golf cart to the parking lot outside the presidential compound.