Prominent retired officers formally join Megawati's PDI
Prominent retired officers formally join Megawati's PDI
JAKARTA (JP): Maj. Gen. (ret) Theo Syafei and Maj. Gen. (ret)
Raja Kami Sembiring Meliala led an illustrious pack of former
military officers, former Golkar leaders and businessmen who
formally joined the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) under
Megawati Soekarnoputri on Friday.
Theo was formerly chief of the Udayana Regional Military Chief
and served a brief stint as legislator in the Armed Forces (ABRI)
faction in the House of Representatives (DPR) before he was
withdrawn last year for criticizing then president Soeharto.
Sembiring was also known as an outspoken and highly critical
legislator when he represented ABRI in the House.
Two other former ABRI officers who joined the PDI's ranks were
Maj. Gen. (ret) Sunarso Djajusman and Police Col. (ret) R.B.
Hutagaol.
Former Golkar officials who defected were former deputy
chairman Jacob Tobing, Rio Tambunan and Widjonarko, who was
chairman of the Golkar-affiliated Indonesian Young Generation for
Reform.
Making up the remaining names on the list were businessmen
Julius Usman, Erwin Pardede and Suko Sudarko.
All registered as members of the PDI's South Jakarta branch.
The ceremony was held at the branch's office in Ciganjur
subdistrict and was lead by branch chairman Audy F. Tambunan. The
chairmen of the party's Jakarta chapter and East Jakarta branch,
Roy B.B. Janis and Tarmidi, both attended.
Separately, Army Chief of Staff Gen. Subagyo Hadisiswoyo said
the military had no qualms about any of its former officers
joining political parties.
"Basically, it's their right as retired officials to join
political parties. The most important thing is that they remain
committed to the country and the nation," Subagyo told reporters
at the Army headquarters in Central Jakarta after the weekly
Friday prayer.
"There is no law requiring them to join Golkar," he said.
However, he added that ideally, they should follow the stance
of the Armed Forces Veterans Association (Pepabri), to which all
former officers belong.
"But, again it's their right to join the PDI. We cannot force
them not to," he said.
Many other former servicemen said they supported the retired
generals' decision to join Megawati's camp.
Maj. Gen. (ret) Syamsir Siregar, a former chief of the Armed
Forces Intelligence Agency (BIA), said that retired military
officers were free to choose how to channel their political
aspirations.
Former ABRI legislator Lt. Gen. (ret) Syaiful Sulun said the
move was "natural".
Meanwhile, a former chief of the Army's Strategic Reserves
Command (Kostrad), Lt. Gen. (ret) Achmad Kemal Idris, called on
the Armed Forces Headquarters to maintain an equal distance from
all political parties. (imn)