Reform figures lack support for TNI post

A'an Suryana, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The country is facing difficulties in selecting reform figures for the post of new Indonesian Military (TNI) chief due to lack of support from the institution, in particular the Army, an observer said.

Kusnanto Anggoro of the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) said the general public hoped to see an officer from outside the Army, whose image had not been tarnished due to various human rights abuses in the past, appointed to the TNI top post.

"Figures from outside the Army may get wide public support, but they will meet resistance from the Army, which is the dominant force in the TNI," Kusnanto told reporters on the sidelines of a seminar on TNI's territorial function.

"On the other hand, candidates from within the Army will get support within the military, but in the eyes of the public they are not reformists."

Kusnanto acknowledged that acceptance from both the military institution and the general public was essential.

"If the institution does not support an elected chief, he or she wouldn't be able to work with the team, and this would be dangerous for the life of the organization," he said.

The Army currently has some 200,000 personnel, compared with the Navy's 30,000 and the Air Force's 30,000.

President Megawati will likely submit to the House of Representatives a lone candidate for the TNI chief post in place of Adm. Widodo AS, who should have retired in 1999. Widodo, who was appointed by former president Abdurrahman Wahid, is the first TNI chief ever from outside the Army.

Army chief of staff Gen. Endriartono Sutarto and his predecessor Gen. Tyasno Sudarto have been touted as strong candidates for the TNI top job.

According to Kusnanto the appointment of the new military chief would likely be influenced by political considerations.

"Whoever gets strong political support from Megawati, the Indonesian military or other political camps could hold the military's top post," he said.

Meanwhile, Rifki Moena, of the Research Institute for Democracy and Peace (RiDEP) hoped that the appointment of the new military chief would avoid political intrigue, in a bid to keep the institution's unity intact.

"All parties involved in the selection must uphold the principle of meritocracy. They should take a candidate's qualifications, seniority and track record, which includes a nominee's involvement in criminal or human right abuses, into account," Rifki said.