MPR's decision to maintain Military/Police questioned
JAKARTA (JP): Minister of Defense Juwono Sudarsono questioned legislators' decision on Tuesday to allow the Indonesian Military (TNI)/Police faction to retain their seats in the People's Consultative Assembly and conceded that it may have been prompted out of fear.
When asked on Tuesday if he believed the proposal was likely to have been prompted by a civilian fear of the military, Juwono replied: "yes".
"Personally, I wanted the TNI/Police faction to end their presence in the Assembly in 2004 as they will be in the House of Representatives".
"But it has been decided by these civilian men of high position at the Assembly," Juwono scoffed.
"The decision came from civilians, and the TNI/Police will follow it if the proposal to retain the faction till 2009 is endorsed by Assembly members," he added.
Commission B at the Assembly's Annual Session, charged with drafting Assembly decrees, proposed maintaining the presence of the TNI/Police faction in the highest law-making body until 2009.
The decision came despite an earlier commitment to abolish allocated seats for the military and police in the House in 2004. Currently, the TNI/Police has 38 seats at the Assembly.
The draft decree is expected to be endorsed on Friday.
Military and police members traditionally do not vote in the general election and are thus allocated seats in the Assembly and the House.
Assembly members contended the decision was fair as the TNI/Police also have a right to channel their political aspirations.
Vote
Juwono also said that even if the military and police were not allocated seats, it would be too risky to allow soldiers to vote in general elections as it could create dangerous fractures within the military.
"Maybe they will be ready to vote after 2009, but not right now. But I personally think if they become soldiers they do not need that anymore," Juwono said.
"They, active soldiers, have to follow a chain of command, the orders of their superior. If they retire then they can join political parties," he added.
National Police chief Gen. Rusdihardjo supported the proposal to maintain the faction till 2009.
He said the TNI/Police could make various useful suggestions and inputs during the transitional period.
"I consider it a good projection. During that time we can let the people judge our roles at the Assembly. Beside, as a tool of the state it is difficult to find a more legitimate way to channel political rights," Rusdihardjo said.
He also felt that soldiers and police should refrain from voting "because they are the ones carrying the guns".
"We are all still learning about democracy. The general public will still have some fears if we join the election because we have guns," he added.
A separate decree has also been drafted to formally separate the structure and organizations of the military and police.
It also proposes that the TNI commander and chief of National Police can be appointed and dismissed by the president only with the approval of the House of Representative.
The first draft decree also included an article on the establishment of a National Police board.
Commenting on the board as a way to control the police force, Rusdihardjo said he expected it to function more as a police aid so the force would not become entangled in administrative affairs.
"Establishing a special board to control us just because we are under the direct order of the president indicates unnecessary concern," he said. (dja)