Indonesian Military divided over presidential race
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The Indonesian Military (TNI) has declared its neutrality in the face of the unprecedented direct presidential election -- and repetitions of this stance seem to reflect the need of its leadership to remind its own ranks to stay away from politics, the military's traditional playground.
"Neutrality" has meant that active personnel are told that they are not allowed to use their constitutional right to vote and that they are not allowed to campaign for any of the candidates -- they are no longer even allowed to serve as drivers or provide other personal services for any of the candidates.
A day before the presidential campaign started on June 1, TNI Commander Gen. Endriartono Sutarto again told the chiefs of the Army, Navy and Air Force and commanders of their elite forces that any officers found to have violated "neutrality" would be dismissed.
He had instructed that all commanders prevent their soldiers from getting involved in politics before, during and after the presidential election or be ready to face harsh sanctions.
Sources at the military headquarters said the commander was visibly upset at the meeting with the commanders, following a gathering by presidential candidate Gen. (ret) Wiranto with Army generals in April and at the TNI Headquarters in Cilangkap in May.
Wiranto's unexpected win in the Golkar Party convention was also partly attributed to the support of local military officials, party sources said. The local commanders had considerable influence on the local party chapters, they said. In the April convention Wiranto lost to party leader Akbar Tandjung in the first round by 10 votes but won in the second round by 88 votes.
How split is the military given that two candidates are retired generals -- Wiranto and former chief security minister Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono -- while they must appear to be impartial and loyal to their current constitutional commander, President Megawati Soekarnoputri?
Middle-ranking officers have said they prefer candidates Susilo and Megawati to Wiranto, who is seen to have tarnished the image of the corps. The various allegations of human rights abuses that he now faces occurred when he was the TNI commander.
Members of the Army's Special Forces (Kopassus) were convicted on charges of abducting activists and the then commander Lt. Gen.(ret) Prabowo lost his post because of the abduction cases and also the May 1998 riots, all of which Wiranto has denied involvement in.
Wiranto led the Army's Strategic Reserves Command (Kostrad) from 1997 to 1998 but an officer who requested anonymity said the term was too brief. "He's not close to the green beret force because he was not assigned for a long time in the force."
Susilo and Megawati have fewer problems, he added.
"If Wiranto leads the nation, the military will suffer more, including the continued imposition of a military embargo from the United States."
During the month-long presidential campaign, Wiranto has been busy facing questions over his responsibility as TNI commander in relation to various human rights cases.
However, another officer said that Wiranto was supported by several high ranking officers who graduated from the Military Academy between 1970 and 1972.
"Most officers in the regions are not close to Wiranto as they are 1973 graduates who are close to Susilo or who support Megawati," he said. Wiranto graduated from the Military Academy in 1968 while Susilo graduated in 1973.
TNI observer Kusnanto Anggoro said that the military neither favored Hamzah Haz nor Amien Rais, two presidential candidates who are seen as being more aligned to religious ideology.
"TNI has been gravitating toward the three other candidates who have expressed strong commitment to fighting for a nationalist ideology, including defending the unitary state and displaying openness to foreign countries," he said.
He pointed out that TNI was attaching its interests to the Golkar Party and the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) which won 21 percent and 19 percent of the vote respectively in the recent legislative election.
"Many governors and regents of the two political parties have allied with military chiefs in the provinces and regencies to fight for their mutual political, material and geographic interests at the local level," Kusnanto said.
Hasnan Habib, a retired military officer, said that despite the threat of stern punishment, "TNI personnel have their own choices and conscience and they have their families through which they can 'channel' their political aspirations".