Kostrad suffers from complicated bureaucracy

Tiarma Siboro, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Departing from its usual custom, the Army bid farewell on Tuesday to its Strategic Reserves Command (Kostrad) chief, Lt. Gen. Bibit Waluyo, without naming a successor.

Pending Bibit's replacement, Army Chief of Staff Gen. Ryamizard Ryacudu will take charge of the elite force, which boasts nearly 30,000 troops. Ryamizard also named Kostrad chief of staff Maj. Gen. Saril Tanjung as acting executive commander of Kostrad.

Ryamizard blamed the vacuum of power in Kostrad on the slow pace of military bureaucracy.

"The Army has actually completed its promotion and rotation process and submitted the names of several officers for assignment to new posts, including that of the Kostrad commander, to Indonesian Military (TNI) headquarters. Now, we are waiting for their approval." Ryamizard said after the ceremony marking the stepping down of the Kostrad commander.

Kostrad has been playing a major role in the ongoing military operation to quell the separatist movement in Aceh.

Bibit reached the mandatory retirement age of 55 on Aug. 5. His classmate in the Military Academy, former Indonesian Military Police chief Maj. Gen. (ret) Sulaiman A.B., who was born on the same date as Bibit, retired two months ago and was replaced by Maj. Gen. Ruchian.

Ryamizard was Kostrad commander before he took over as Army chief from Gen. Endiartono Sutarto, who was promoted to TNI chief in 2000.

A military source said the chief of the Brawijaya Military Command responsible for military affairs in East Java, Maj. Gen. Ahmad Djunaidi Sikki, and Kostrad Chief of Staff Saril have been named as candidates to take over from Bibit.

Military analyst J. Kristiadi of the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) blamed the unusual situation on the bureaucratic mind-set of President Megawati Soekarnoputri's government.

"We all know that the President has been busy over the past few months trying to get herself reelected. This probably affected the workings of the TNI's senior officers' promotion and rotation council," Kristiadi told The Jakarta Post.

The council usually convenes three times a year to discuss promotions and rotations among the TNI's top brass. The ensuing reshuffles are then announced in February, June and October.

Another military analyst, Salim Said, praised the TNI for refraining from deciding on strategic policies at a time when the country was set to experience a change in national leadership.

"The transfer of power from the outgoing Kostrad chief (Bibit) to the Army chief is purely an administrative matter. Pak Bibit has to retire and it is uncommon for the TNI to extend the service of pensionable officers," Salim said.

Only the TNI chief may avail of an extended term, as happened in the case of Sutarto and his predecessor, Adm. (ret) Widodo Adisucipto.

"When the TNI Military Police chief Sulaiman was replaced, the military did not expect Megawati to lose in the election. They are now waiting for the new president to approve the officer who will fill this strategic post," Salim said.

The appointment of four-star military officers and upwards requires presidential consent.

Salim, however, admitted that never in the Army's history had the top job in Kostrad been held by the Army chief merely because a replacement was not available.

"But it won't last long because one of the candidates for the post will be quickly approved by the new president," Salim said.

TNI spokesman Maj. Gen. Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin admitted that the TNI senior officers' promotion and rotation council planned to convene after Oct. 5.

"The TNI is supposed to conduct a reshuffle three times a year, but with the election season having lasted eight months, starting in April, we have been busy providing security for political events, and have tended to neglect our own affairs," Sjafrie said.

The next president will be sworn in on Oct. 20.

With nearly 115 million of the estimated 125 million votes counted on Tuesday, front-runner Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono still enjoys an unassailable lead of 61 percent of the vote, compared to Megawati's 39 percent.