Gen. Ryamizard hands over Army post
Gen. Ryamizard hands over Army post
Outgoing Army chief Gen. Ryamizard Ryacudu (left)
jokes with his successor, Lt. Gen. Djoko Santoso, (right) after a
handover ceremony at the Army's headquarters in Central Jakarta
on Friday. The two brushed aside rumors of intense rivalry
between them for the top TNI post.
"With a sincere heart, I must say that I am very happy today
that I officially handed over the Army's command baton to Pak
Djoko. He is my junior and my former deputy. We've been together
since our military academy days.
"If people are curious about the reshuffle, I must stress here
that reshuffles are common. There is nothing 'behind the
scenes'," Ryamizard said standing beside Djoko.
Ryamizard, whose next job is a non-portfolio post at TNI
headquarters, recalled a story about Djoko when the two served as
middle-ranking officers, saying that the two had grown up in the
field as commanders of Army battalions before winning the top
Army post.
"I know his (Djoko's) capabilities as much as I know his
character, and I have often wished that someday he would replace
me ... And, thanks to God, he has become my successor. I'm happy
for him," Ryamizard, a 1974 graduate of the Army Academy (Akabri)
said.
Meanwhile, Djoko, a 1975 graduate, described his relationship
with Ryamizard as "more than just a junior to a senior."
"Pak Ryamizard and I are just like brothers, but the public
may fail to understand this because I am a reserved person. I
still remember when we both sat in a bus on our way to military's
command school. At that time, Pak Ryamizard told me that if I
became his superior, he would support me and follow my commands.
I replied that I would do the same thing," Djoko said.
Ryamizard said he hoped that under Djoko's chairmanship, the
Army would remain a unified, apolitical institution.
"We have to maintain our neutrality toward the government no
matter who is president. We are not living in the New Order era
any longer, therefore our minds should be focussed on how we can
be more professional soldiers," Ryamizard said. -- JP