Gus Dur installs new Army, Navy chiefs

Gus Dur installs new Army, Navy chiefs

JAKARTA (JP): President Abdurrahman Wahid installed on Monday
Gen. Endriartono Sutarto as Army chief of staff replacing Gen.
Tyasno Sudarto who will be assigned to a desk-job at the
Indonesian Military (TNI) headquarters.

Endriartono, a 1971 graduate of the National Military Academy,
who was chief of Presidential Security Guards in the last years
of former president Soeharto, was sworn in to his new post by
Vice President Megawati Soekarnoputri in a ceremony at the State
Palace.

Megawati also swore in Adm. Indroko Sastrowiryono, a 1971
graduate of the Navy Academy, as Navy chief of staff replacing
Adm. Ahmad Sutjipto.

Endriartono and Indroko were former deputies of the Army and
Navy respectively and both were promoted to four-star generals
just hours before the swearing-in ceremony.

Speaking to reporters after the ceremony, Endriartono denied
speculation that prior to Monday's ceremony, there was a tough
"political tug-of-war" between the President and the military
leadership over the candidate for the Army's top post.

Many were suspicious that no formal announcement was made
prior to Monday's ceremony. In the past, the government used to
make an announcement prior to the swearing in ceremony for top
military officers.

Endriartono said the government did not announce the
replacement as it was considered "routine".

"The military secretary considered the replacement as a
routine activity so that it was unnecessary to announce it over
the weekend," Endriartono said, referring to one of President's
secretaries, Rear Marshal Budhy Santoso.

The replacement of Tyasno and Ahmad Sutjipto adds to the
number of active non-structural generals in the military
headquarters. They include former Army chief Gen. Subagyo
Hadisiswoyo and former deputy TNI chief Gen. Fachrul Razi.

Endriartono, who has spent most of his career on military
operations and territorial commands, revealed that the decision
to name him as Tyasno's successor had been made on Friday
evening.

"I was summoned by the TNI chief (Adm. Widodo A.S.) on Friday
evening and told about the decision. I was then summoned by the
President on Saturday morning," Endriartono said.

Rumors were rife that the President's choice for the Army's
top position was not Endriartono, but former chief of the Army's
Strategic Reserves Command (Kostrad) Lt. Gen. Agus
Wirahadikusumah. But Agus's nomination reportedly received strong
opposition from some 46 Army generals.

In his speech on Monday, Abdurrahman said the military had the
difficult job of maintaining the territorial integrity of the
country.

"Therefore an enormous strength is needed to maintain the
territorial integrity of our country, both in terms of combat as
well as administrative skills," Abdurrahman said.

But the President stressed the strengthening of the military
was not politically motivated.

"The developing of power is not meant for (promoting)
militarism because militaristic attitudes have been crushed and
I'm sure they no longer exist," he added.

Endriartono pledged "firm" but "proportional" sanctions on
soldiers who violated the law or the military code of conduct.

The statement came amid reports that Agus Wirahadikusumah and
Maj. Gen. Saurip Kadi would be brought before an Officers
Honorary Council for disciplinary charges.

Both men were summoned by the Army leadership last week to
explain their recent actions: Agus for being absent without leave
(AWOL) and Saurip for publishing a book about the military's
activities without the Army's permission.

Agus lost his post as Kostrad chief in August in the middle of
an investigation into allegations of corruption in the command by
his predecessors.

Saurip was the assistant for territorial affairs to the Army
chief of staff when he lost his post in April amid rumors that he
took part in a clandestine meeting to plan massive changes in the
military leadership.

Endriartono said the two would only be brought before the
honorary council if there was enough preliminary evidence against
them.

When asked about the candidate for his deputy, Endriartono
said that the matter was still being discussed by Wanjakti
(Council for high-ranking promotions and duty rotations).

As Agus Wirahadikusumah has missed the bout for Army's top
leadership, he was rumored to be the strongest candidate for the
deputy Army chief post. Also mentioned was Kostrad chief Lt. Gen.
Ryamizard Ryacudu. (byg/imn)