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)