Military planning major reshuffle, says Suaidi

Military planning major reshuffle, says Suaidi

JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian Military (TNI) is set to announce
another round of reshuffling that involves 44 officers, including
some top brass, pending approval from the Army chief of staff,
TNI Chief of General Affairs Lt. Gen. Suaidi Marasabessy said on
Thursday.

Suaidi said after presenting awards to the state
telecommunications company PT Telkom at TNI Headquarters in
Cilangkap, East Jakarta, that "there is a sort of tug of war
going on in the Army over who gets what".

He said it was certain that the Central Java, Maluku and Irian
Jaya Military commanders would be replaced, while the Army
Strategic Reserve Command (Kostrad) would have a new chief of
staff.

TNI will also name a new assistant to the TNI chief of
territorial affairs and a deputy to the Air Force chief of staff.

"It has nothing to do with something political as a tour of
duty is routine and the TNI Headquarters have prepared all the
necessary administrative requirements.

"Just wait, we will announce them," he said.

Sources close to TNI said the reshuffle would also affect
Kostrad chief Lt. Gen. Djadja Suparman, the Army Special Force
(Kopassus) commander Maj. Gen. Sjahrir M.S. and Suaidi.

Suaidi refused to comment on the report, but said he was
prepared for new duty. "It wouldn't be a surprise if it is so. I
am ready for any position entrusted to me."

The source said he has been appointed as an ambassador.

Suaidi dismissed speculation that internal and external
pressures linked to the current political development were behind
the planned reshuffle, saying that the TNI commander received
full support from all elements in the military and the civilian
government.

Consulting the President, in his capacity as the supreme
military commander, remains imperative in a reshuffle that
involves the second and top echelons in TNI, Suaidi said.

Analysts have speculated that President Abdurrahman Wahid is
cleaning up a certain faction within the military which is close
to the previous regime by appointing new faces for strategic
posts formerly held by Army members.

Widodo A.S., a navy admiral, was named TNI chief, Air Vice
Marshall Ian Perdanakusumah as head of TNI Intelligence Agency
(Bais) and Air Rear Marshall Graito Usodo as TNI spokesman. (emf)