Major factions want TNI under ministry

Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta

Major factions in the House of Representatives have proposed that the Indonesian Military (TNI) fall under the control of the Ministry of Defense, albeit partially.

All of the factions in the House brought suggestions to the debate on the TNI bill. The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), the Golkar Party, the United Development Party (PPP), the National Awakening Party (PKB), the Crescent Star Party (PBB) and the Reform faction all recommended changes to the current line of command that places the military directly under the president.

The military/police faction, which has only 38 of 500 seats in the House, took the opposite view, while the Indonesia Nationhood Unity (KKI) and the Daulatul Ummah Party (PDU) remained neutral on the issue.

However, of the factions that proposed the defense ministry be given control over the TNI, only the PKB pushed for sweeping reform. The party's own draft of the TNI bill urged that the TNI commander be responsible for implementing defense policies drawn up by the defense ministry, which would in effect put the TNI under the ministry's supervision and require the military chief to report to the defense minister.

The PDI-P, the largest faction in the House, and the PPP recommended the ministry be given restricted control over the policy making and the organizational, administration and budgetary affairs of the TNI. Golkar and the PBB, meanwhile, recommended the defense ministry oversee the military on behalf of the president.

The Reform faction, which consists of the National Mandate Party (PAN) and the Justice Party (PK), suggested the defense ministry be given control over the military except for promotions, human resource development and the use of military force.

"We are collecting input from the House factions in our bid to create a law that promotes TNI professionalism," the chairman of the House's defense commission, Ibrahim Ambong, said on Monday.

The process of gathering recommendations from the factions prompted lawmakers to move back their first hearing of the bill with the government to Thursday from Tuesday.

Also on Monday, a group of non-governmental organizations renewed their demand that the House defense commission reject the TNI bill.

The NGOs expressed concern the bill would preserve the military's involvement in politics, thus weakening efforts to build a professional TNI.

In a joint statement signed by the Petisi 50, the Committee on Alert for the New Order, the Marhaen People's Movement and the Islamic Student Association, the organizations suggested the House return the bill to the government.

The defense commission's deputy chairman, Effendy Choirie, said the deliberation of the bill would continue, but promised lawmakers would do everything possible to accommodate the public's aspirations.

He said lawmakers would focus on three crucial issues in order to save time: the redefinition of the TNI's territorial role, the repositioning of the TNI under the defense ministry and the military budget.

The Ministry of Defense's director of defense strategy, Maj. Gen. Sudrajat, agreed that lawmakers should redefine the military's territorial role, which in the past was aimed at supporting Soeharto's New Order government.

During the meeting with the House's defense commission, Ministry of Defense secretary-general Suprihadi said the government planned to establish regional ministry offices.

The establishment of these regional offices, however, will only be decided after the deliberation of the TNI bill is completed.

Factions' stance on crucial issues in the TNI bill ==================================================================

Territorial Positioning TNI TNI officers

function of TNI under defense ministry in bureaucracy ------------------------------------------------------------------ PDI-P reject agree must resign Golkar undecided agree must resign PPP reject agree must resign PKB reject agree must resign Reform undecided agree reject TNI/Police agree reject agree ================================================================= Source: Recommendations of House factions