Officers asked to leave civilian posts

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)