PDI Perjuangan party to back Endriartono as military chief
Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) faction in the House of Representatives appears to have thrown its support behind Army Chief of Staff Gen. Endriartono Sutarto to replace Adm. Widodo A.S. as the next Indonesian Military (TNI) chief. Widodo's military service has been extended twice since he reached the mandatory retirement age of 55.
The secretary of the PDI Perjuangan faction in the House, Tjahjo, said in a written statement distributed to the media on Monday that the next TNI chief "must be clean and loyal to the government and to the Indonesian President, and must have demonstrated a dedication and loyalty to the state and the Indonesian Military".
"The figure of Gen. Endriartono may be the best choice, along with other contenders such as former Army chief of staff Gen. Tyasno Sudarto and the current Navy chief of staff and Air Force chief of staff," said Tjahjo, who is close to Taufik Kiemas, President Megawati Soekarnoputri's husband.
The statement, however, added that the PDI Perjuangan faction would leave the final decision to the TNI's Rank and Promotion Council and the President, who has the prerogative to appoint the chief of the TNI.
Tjahjo's statement may reflect a tug-of-war between the political elite over the next TNI chief.
A source told The Jakarta Post that Megawati had earlier been insistent on appointing the commander of the Army's Strategic Reserve (Kostrad), Lt. Gen. Ryamizard Ryacudu, as the new TNI chief.
She previously favored Lt. Gen. Djamari Chaniago, the TNI chief of general affairs, for the position, but he was rejected by some factions in the House and high-ranking Army officers backing Gen. Endriartono as the next TNI chief.
The standoff delayed the succession process in the military leadership, but the recent extension of Endriartono's military service until 2007 triggered speculation that Megawati had bowed to pressure from the TNI to appoint the Army chief of staff as the new TNI chief. Endriartono had been due to retire next month.
According to Tjahjo, Megawati, who is also the chairwoman of PDI Perjuangan, will submit only one candidate for the position of TNI chief to the House for approval in May, and that candidate will come from the Army.
Under the current law, the TNI chief is to be chosen from incumbent and former chiefs of staff of the Army, Navy and the Air Force. The candidate must be approved by the House before being installed by the President.
Tjahjo's statement said that for the next Army chief of staff, the faction had singled out several candidates, including the chief of the Army Strategic Reserves Command (Kostrad), Lt. Gen. Ryamizard Ryacudu, TNI's chief of general affairs, Lt. Gen. Djamari Chaniago, and the deputy chief of the Army, Lt. Gen. Kiki Syahnakri.
A potential candidate to take over as the next Navy chief of staff is Rear Adm. Bernard Sondaakh, Tjahjo said in the statement, while likely candidates for the Air Force chief of staff are Air Rear Marshall Ian Santoso Perdanakusuma, who is currently the chief of the TNI's Strategic Intelligence Agency, and TNI College Commandant Air Rear Marshall Chappy Hakim.
Responding to the statement, PDI Perjuangan legislator Permadi said the backing of Endriartono was only Tjahjo's personal preference.
"As of today, the name of the candidate has not been received by legislators. I think it (Tjahjo's statement) is normal. There is nothing new in his statement," Permadi told The Jakarta Post.
Meanwhile, the deputy secretary-general of PDI Perjuangan, Pramono Anung, refused to disclose the name of the candidate for TNI chief.
"I know who the candidate is, but I have promised not to inform the public," Pramono said.