No routine tours

Tours of duty may be normal occurrences in an organization as dynamic and developed as the Indonesian Military (TNI), but given TNI's national prominence, every single change at the top of its leadership today has significant consequences for the life of the republic. The reshuffle in the TNI top leadership that was announced on Monday by TNI chief spokesman Air Rear Marshal Graito Usodo is even more important in the context of Indonesia's contemporary politics.

The military this past year has come under an unusual barrage of criticism, not only because of its past actions, but also because of its reluctance to give up its political role and a host of other privileges. The behavior of some of the generals at times defies the military's own claim that it is vigorously pursuing internal reforms. Such an internal contradiction only goes to confirm that some generals cannot adapt to the changing times, and are refusing to give up many of the privileges the military has taken for granted as its historical right.

Yet, the success of Indonesia's bid to become a full-fledged democracy to a large extent hinges on TNI's attitude. Civil society, the goal of the reform movement that began in 1998, can never be attained as long as the military remains an active political player. TNI's political role today remains the single biggest obstacle in Indonesia's march toward civil society.

The TNI leadership has professed to have taken on the reformist mantle, claimed to have introduced a new paradigm and promised to relinquish its political representation in the House of Representatives by 2004. This is a progressive retreat from politics for an institution that has virtually dictated the course of the nation's history in the last three decades.

Unfortunately, however, the promise of scaling back its political role has not been matched by the actions and statements of some of its top officers. Such behavior has raised doubts whether the military is genuine in its retreat, or is simply buying time.

These doubts in turn undermine TNI's public image as reflected in the endless criticisms against the military. TNI Chief Navy Admiral Widodo A.S. has the unenviable task of restoring its credibility and regaining public confidence. While no one doubts Widodo's credentials in leading the TNI down the reform path, he must still prevail over some of the Army generals who are not falling in line. His duty is therefore clear: Purge the TNI of officers whose commitment towards reform is questionable.

Widodo's appointment in October replacing Gen. Wiranto in itself was a major step in reforming the TNI. He became the first Navy officer to assume the top military leadership, which had previously been the domain of the Army. That was the beginning. Since then, Widodo has made a number of changes in the top TNI leadership, putting younger and reformist officers in strategic top posts. On Monday he put Maj. Gen. Agus Wirahadikusumah, a rare staunch reformist officer, as chief of the Army's Strategic Reserves Command (Kostrad). Widodo can count on the full support of President Abdurrahman Wahid and the public in purging the TNI of nonreformist officers. We expect more "tours of duty" in the coming weeks as he continues with the reform process.

Ultimately, the goal of the current round of tours of duty must be to strengthen TNI's professionalism, which because of its heavy politicization in the past, is sorely lacking. Widodo must end the military's habit of forming cliques which reflect the interests of powerful officers or certain ideologies in TNI.

Longtime TNI watchers are by now familiar with such terms as the Murdani clique, the Prabowo clique, the Wiranto clique, and the green/Thaliban camp or the red-and-white/nationalist camp. Each one of these denotes the figure or ideology to which officers in that group owe their allegiance and loyalty. Such division is the consequence of TNI, or more precisely its leaders, toying too much with politics to fulfill the interests and ambitions of individuals rather than the force or the nation.

If Indonesia is to become a full-fledged democracy where the military is put in its proper place, then it needs a much less politicized and much more professional TNI.