Officers asked to leave civilian posts

JAKARTA (JP): The Jakarta Military Command "recommended" the 104 military officers currently holding civilian posts in the city administration leave their posts and return to their military duties, city secretary Fauzi Bowo said on Wednesday.

According to Fauzi, the recommendation was made in a letter dated May 28 and signed by Col. Wibowo, the command's assistant of personnel affairs.

The recommendation came after Indonesian Military (TNI) Commander Gen. Wiranto recently ordered all TNI personnel to choose between their civilian and military posts.

"(Military) officers in the administration are required to choose whether they want to continue holding their civilian posts, retire (from the military) or return to barracks.

"We recommend those 104 military officers (in the city administration) pick the last option," Fauzi announced at City Hall.

According to Fauzi, the letter, received by the city administration office about a month ago, was still being studied by officials.

"Once the (military) officers leave the posts, the vacant seats should be filled. To that purpose, we must seek people capable of filling the seats," he said.

As reported earlier, the assistant to the city secretary for human resources development, Ma'mun Amin, said that of the 356 TNI officers holding civilian posts in the administration, 208 of them, including Governor Sutiyoso, had chosen not to resign their posts.

"The announcement by Gen. Wiranto makes it clear that any officers intending to hold a civilian post must leave the military," Ma'mun said.

Sutiyoso, an active three-star general in the Army, recently said he was ready to give up his position as a lieutenant general in the military to finish out his term as governor, which is scheduled to end in 2002. (ylt)