Prabowo sad to leave Kopassus for new post

JAKARTA (JP): Commandant of the Army's special force (Kopassus), Maj. Gen. Prabowo Subianto, said he was sad he had to leave the elite force to assume his new post as commander of the Army's Strategic Reserves Command (Kostrad).

"I feel sad that I have to leave Kopassus because I love it very much," he told reporters after a meeting at Army headquarters in Central Jakarta yesterday.

"But, I must leave Kopassus for a greater military duty in Kostrad," he said.

Prabowo said he was ready to pass his command of the elite force on to his successor, Maj. Gen. Muchdi P.R., who is currently chief of Kalimantan's Tanjungpura Regional Military Command.

"Kopassus is now in optimum condition after a series of reorganizations over the past two years," he said. "I believe the new commandant-general will be able to perform well and improve Kopassus' performance as well."

Muchdi P.R., a familiar face in Kopassus, said all he needed to do was continue policies and a system that were already well- established by Prabowo.

Commenting on his transfer, Muchdi said it was merely part of his job as a soldier.

"Wherever I am posted is the same for me. After all, I am just following my superiors' instruction and I need to perform my new duties only," he said.

He dismissed the allegation that he obtained his new post because of his closeness with the outgoing Kopassus chief.

Separately, Army Chief of Staff Gen. Wiranto said he was just grateful to Allah and that he would do his best in his new post as the Armed Forces commander.

Gen. Subagyo Hadisiswoyo, who will replace Wiranto as the new Army chief of staff, also promised to do his best. Similar sentiment was expressed by the newly promoted deputy Army chief of staff Lt. Gen. Sugiono.

Separately, legislators and observers greeted Thursday's appointment of Gen. Wiranto as the new Armed Forces (ABRI) commander with reminders of the great and complicated challenges ahead.

"Let us hope the new ABRI leaders will be able to stimulate democratization in Indonesia," commented Aisyah Amini, chairwoman of House Commission I for law, information and security.

She also called on Wiranto and his fellow officers to shun repressive measures and opt for persuasive ones when facing upheavals.

In addition to Wiranto replacing Gen. Feisal Tanjung, other changes include Maj. Gen. Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono becoming the Armed Forces chief of sociopolitical affairs.

"In its social and political role, the Armed Forces should be able to inspire democratization," Aisyah was quoted by Antara as saying.

She expressed hope that the new leaders, most of whom were members of a new breed of soldiers, would be even more sensitive to national and global developments.

Fellow legislator Theo L. Sambuaga expressed confidence that Wiranto and the other new ABRI leaders would continue to be committed to the promotion of human rights.

"As part of the people, the Armed Forces will surely remain close to them," he said.

Political observer Indria Samego of the Indonesian Institute of Sciences said the paramount challenge facing the new ABRI leaders was in how they played their role in an increasingly complicated situation.

"This is the challenge for the new leaders, most of whom are younger soldiers," he said, reported Antara.

Wiranto is a 1968 graduate of the Armed Forces Military Academy (Akabri) while Feisal graduated from the academy in 1962, when Akabri was still called the National Military Academy.

Indria did not believe new leadership meant a change was imminent within the institution because the military had strongly embedded doctrines.

"The Armed Forces will remain (the same with regard to) its two main roles, namely as a security force and sociopolitical (player)," said Indria, a graduate of Australia's Flinders University.

"This means that ABRI should continue with its role as the force that stabilizes the nation while introducing dynamics in people's lives," he said.

Indria said another challenge facing the new leaders was that they should hold more dialogs with other elements in society.

"If seen in the context of pushing for democratization... then ABRI needs to open intensive dialogs with other groups," he said. (imn/swe)