Police chief's dismissal gets mixed reactions

JAKARTA (JP): President Abdurrahman Wahid's replacement of National Police chief. Gen. Rusdihardjo on Monday received mixed reactions with some suggesting that the decision is not valid unless it is approved by the House of Representatives.

People's Consultative Assembly Speaker Amien Rais, who is also chairman of the National Mandate Party (PAN), noted that the House's approval on the installment or replacement of the National Police chief is stipulated in Article 7(3) of Assembly decree No. VII/2000 on the function of the Indonesian Military (TNI) and police.

He said the article is aimed at avoiding a situation where the position of National Police chief is exploited for the President's interest.

"So, the replacement should be postponed. We should respect the Assembly's decree," Amien contended.

He disagreed with Abdurrahman's statement that the decree is not valid yet since there is no regulation explaining the decree.

"The decree is valid since the Assembly approved it," he remarked.

Amien maintained that the recent spate of bombings in the city could not be blamed solely on the National Police chief, saying that his successor would not be able to guarantee that the situation would get better.

Senior legislator Sabam Sirait from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) conceded that the replacement is the President's prerogative but stressed that the President should consult the House on the installment of a new chief.

"At least the President should discuss with the House's leadership since we are now in recess," Sabam, who is also a member of the House's Commission I for political, security and foreign Affairs, remarked.

House speaker Akbar Tandjung, during a visit to Singapore on Monday, said the President must take more control of the military -- by replacing its commander, if necessary.

"We would like the President to be more firm in controlling the military," Akbar told reporters after addressing a Singapore think tank, the Institute of Defense and Strategic Studies.

Akbar said Abdurrahman should order the military to conduct an investigation if he felt elements of the Army were involved in the bomb attack on the Jakarta Stock Exchange building.

"Should there be any suspicions on the military, Gus Dur can order the commander of the Indonesian Army to investigate. If he is not pleased with his work, he can replace him," Akbar said as quoted by Reuters.

Support

While there seemed to be some apprehension among legislators on the replacement, human right activists Munir and Hendardi hailed the move, saying that Rusdihardjo had failed to prevent the escalating violence.

"Rusdihardjo could not solve the recent spate of violence, especially the bombings," Munir, chairman of the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras), said.

Chairman of the Indonesia Legal Aid and Human Rights Association (PBHI) Hendardi said that Rusdihardjo failed to uphold the supremacy of the law.

"The replacement should be used as a momentum to uphold the law," he remarked.

Separately, Attorney General Marzuki Darusman believed that the reshuffle is related to the government's measure to ensure public security, rather than a reflection of Rusdihardjo's failure in carrying out his duties.

"This reshuffle shows the government's seriousness in handling the recent violence," he told journalists at his office.

Marzuki further said that in the reshuffle the President was actually hinting of a change in the police policy guidelines which could remove obstacles hampering the police's work.

"During the police probes on the recent bombings, they were clearly obstructed after finding clues that led to the military. Maybe the reshuffle can pave the way for a new process where the police will have access to the military," he said.

In Yogyakarta, former national police chief Awaloedin Djamin said here on Monday that Rusdihardjo's replacement marked an extraordinary decision which could signal an urgent development.

"According to (police) tradition, one will be retained at a certain top post if there is only one more year to his or her retirement," Awaloedin, who was police chief from 1978 to 1982 and currently head of the National Education Advisory Agency, told reporters.

He said that "anyone would only have a marginal chance of performing well as police chief in this current times where terrorism and crime occur almost daily."

However, he expected that Com. Gen. Bimantoro, who took over Rusdihardjo's post, to be able to perform well, saying that Bimantoro has already been prepared for the post. (44/bby/jun)