Jakarta military get new spokesman

JAKARTA (JP): Jakarta Military Commander Maj. Gen. Sutiyoso installed four new officials Wednesday, including new spokesman Lt. Col. Djazairi Nachrowi, who replaced Lt. Col. Didi Supandi.

Sutiyoso said spokesmen played an important and strategic role in explaining the military command's security policies.

"The role becomes more important and strategic because in the globalization era information technology is advancing," he said at a ceremony at the City Military Command headquarters in East Jakarta.

The two star-general hoped the new spokesman could maintain a good relationship with the media, especially television, which he described as a weapon to ensure balance and accurate information.

Nachrowi, 44, a former official in the command's social and political department said he would try to hold on to what his predecessor, Didi Supandi, had achieved.

Didi, who became spokesman in 1993, has been promoted to deputy head of the city's social and political affairs office.

Nachrowi, a graduate of the state-run Islamic Institute in Palembang, South Sumatra, is married with three children.

The other new officials are the head of the data and information processing department, Lt. Col. Iwan Suprapto, the head of the maintenance department Lt. Col. M. Simanjuntak, and the detachment commander at the military command headquarters, Lt. Col. Nur Suhasah. (jun)