New chiefs can be promoted to top TNI post: Spokesman

New chiefs can be promoted to top TNI post: Spokesman

Tiarma Siboro, Then Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Newly appointed military chiefs of staff have a chance to be
quickly promoted as commander of the Indonesian Military (TNI),
replacing Gen. Endriartono Sutarto, according to a senior officer
at the TNI headquarters.

TNI spokesman Maj. Gen. Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin said on Tuesday
that internal regulations state that new chiefs of staff can be
promoted after three months on the job.

"It is possible that one of the three will be promoted to
become the top military commander," Sjafrie told reporters on the
sidelines of an unscheduled hearing between the TNI and the
Regional Representatives Council.

The statement not only sends a message to lawmakers that
current Army Chief of Staff Gen. Ryamizard Ryacudu is not the
only candidate for TNI chief, but also highlights the growing
competition between Endriartono and Ryamizard to influence the
proceedings.

"The evaluation mechanism at the TNI headquarters says that
the assessment of each officer is held every three months.
Therefore, it will not be a problem for one of the new chiefs of
staff to be promoted to a higher post after he passes the first
evaluation," Sjafrie explained.

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has been under pressure
from the House of Representatives to replace Endriartono, who had
actually tendered his resignation to then president Megawati
Soekarnoputri, who then proposed Ryamizard -- known to be a
staunch believer in her father Sukarno's nationalistic ideas.

But after assuming power in October, Susilo annulled
Megawati's move and kept Endriartono on, a move that irked some
lawmakers, who have said that Ryamizard is the only appropriate
candidate for the job, considering his relatively young age and
his experience as a chief of staff.

Sjafrie, however, dismissed speculation that Ryamizard would
likely lose the chance to be promoted.

"Ryamizard still has a chance to be named because the law says
that the President can pick officers who have experience as a
chief of staff, which Ryamizard clearly does," he said.

All other current or former chiefs of staff are well past the
mandatory retirement age.

The hardline Ryamizard, who is apparently not the President's
first choice, will enter his mandatory retirement age in April,
but the President can choose to extend their services for several
years.

Endriartono has recently pushed for the reshuffle of the
military chiefs of staff and proposed several names to the
President.

"I have proposed names for the President and now it's in his
hands," Endriartono said.

Previously, a source stated that Lt. Gen. Djoko Santoso had
been proposed as the new Army Chief of Staff; Vice Adm. Djoko
Soemaryono as the new Navy Chief of Staff and Rear Marshall Djoko
Soeyanto as the new Air Force Chief of Staff. The President could
announce the reshuffle this week, but it had not been confirmed.

Djoko Santoso is known to be a close ally of Susilo, and both
were trained in the U.S.