Legislators differ on candidates for TNI chief

Legislators differ on candidates for TNI chief

A'an Suryana
The Jakarta Post
Jakarta

Legislators tacitly urged President Megawati Soekarnoputri on
Tuesday to appoint a new Indonesian Military (TNI) chief, but
differed on the number of candidates the President should submit
to the House of Representatives (DPR) for deliberation.

Golkar legislator Happy Bone Zulkarnaen, a member of House
Commission I, said Megawati had to submit more than one candidate
to the DPR, while fellow legislator Agus Widjojo, from the
military and police faction, said that the President was obliged
to submit one name only.

TNI chief Admiral Widodo A.S. has long exceeded the mandatory
retirement age and Megawati said earlier that she was looking for
the right candidate to replace him.

TNI chief is appointed by the President with the House's
approval.

According to Happy, submitting one candidate was tantamount to
a fait accompli by the President, as the legislators would have
no choice but to choose that person.

"The submission of more than one candidate is necessary in
order to respect the checks and balances that exist between the
executive and legislative branches," he said during a discussion
titled Love and Hate TNI: The course of TNI's Political Role
after the Reform Movement.

Speaking in the same discussion, three-star general Agus
argued that appointing the TNI chief was the President's
prerogative and whether or not she proposed her choice to the
DPR, it was wholly her right.

"The DPR should not intervene or force its will on the
President," he said.

"One candidate is better as that would rule out possible
competition between candidates, which might lead to political
infighting," he added.

Separately, Widodo said on Tuesday that the reshuffle of high-
ranking TNI officials was still under way.

"I think there is a regeneration going on among the TNI's top
positions, and I have reported it to the President," Widodo was
quoted by Antara as saying on Tuesday.

Widodo said he met with President Megawati on Monday to report
a prospective reshuffle in the military.

The TNI's reshuffle has been a contentious issue since the end
of last year. President Megawati originally planned to announce
the reshuffle last month, before the House went into recess, but
it was postponed without explanation, suggesting a tug-of-war
between Megawati and the TNI top brass.