Military expected to vote uniformly

Military expected to vote uniformly

JAKARTA (JP): Military representatives in the People's
Consultative Assembly (MPR) are expected to vote for the same
candidate in the upcoming presidential election, a spokesman said
on Saturday.

Indonesian Military (TNI) spokesman Maj. Gen. Syamsul Ma'arif
said voting uniformly was the military's policy.

Syamsul's statement differed from that of another military
officer, who said it would be better if military representatives
in the MPR abstained from the presidential election.

"The 38 representatives in the next Assembly will use their
voting rights to channel the military's aspirations for the
presidency. It would be discriminatory if they had to abstain,"
Syamsul said.

In a personal capacity, Maj. Gen. Agus Wirahadikusumah, an
assistant to the TNI chief of general planning affairs, said last
week the military should not vote in the presidential election to
ensure its neutrality in politics.

"The election of the president ... will be a test for the TNI,
as to what extent the TNI can establish its neutrality," Agus
told Kontan weekly. "My personal opinion is that we should remain
consistent" to the military's commitment to democratization.

TNI Commander Gen. Wiranto announced last year the military's
"new paradigm", saying the military would only seek to
"influence" public life instead of dominating it as some critics
had charged.

The 38 military representatives in the Assembly should abstain
"to show that political democratization can work" because the
military did not earn its seats in the elections, Agus said,
adding that TNI's only commitment is to uphold the unitary state
and Pancasila ideology.

Gen. Wiranto earlier said the military representatives would
be "active" in the General Session of the MPR, including the
presidential election, because they had the same political rights
as other legislators.

While some observers have said the military should remain
neutral, they have said TNI representatives would likely wield
great influence in determining the next president because of a
predicted deadlock in the election.

According to provisional results from the general election, no
political party will receive the majority needed to pick the next
president.

Syamsul said the military would give the five political
parties with the largest number of votes the opportunity to name
their presidential candidates before making its stance know in
the General Session.

The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan)
has named chairwoman Megawati Soekarnoputri its presidential
candidate, while Golkar has named incumbent Presidents B.J.
Habibie. Other leading parties, including the United Development
Party (PPP), have not yet named a candidate.

"TNI will reveal its stance during the presidential election,"
he said, adding that the public should not speculate on whether
the military will support Megawati.

Political analysts have said the military may throw its weight
behind Megawati because her party had come out in support of the
unitary state and the state ideology of Pancasila, while saying
it was against amending the 1945 Constitution. Others have said
the military would support whichever part won the elections.

Separately, constitutional law expert Ismail Sunny opposed an
idea proposed by Muslim leader Abdurrahman Wahid on separation of
power between the head of state and the head of government held
by the country's president.

Speaking in a discussion held by Golkar Party, Ismail said
Abdurrahman's proposal was incompatible to the 1945 Constitution,
which confers a sweeping range of protocol and administrative
prerogatives to a president.

"The separation can apply only after the Constitution is
amended," Ismail said.

He also said popular support for Megawati's presidential bid
would only discourage political education for citizens. "It's an
emotion-filled and irrational support. An ordinary citizen,
instead of a president's offspring, should assume the top post,"
he said.

Megawati is a daughter of first president Sukarno, who was
replaced by Soeharto following an abortive coup attempt blamed on
the Indonesian Communist Party in 1965.(rms)