Regeneration and reform

Regeneration and reform

The latest reshuffle in the top leadership of the Indonesian
Military (TNI) has been widely billed as part of a long-awaited
rejuvenation. On Thursday, President Megawati Soekarnoputri
installed Vice Marshall Chappy Hakim and Vice Admiral Bernard
Kent Sondakh as the Air Force and Navy chiefs respectively.

Army Chief of Staff Gen. Endriartono Sutarto will also be
replaced soon as part of this regeneration process. Megawati has
also picked a successor for Admiral Widodo A.S. as the TNI chief,
but she has to inform the House of Representatives before making
the change in the number one TNI post.

This round of reshuffling in the top TNI leadership has been
late in coming -- certainly by the TNI's own standards -- so that
it has given rise to speculation about political infighting
within the military, particularly the Army. Given the nation's
strong preoccupation with political reform, the main question
that is being asked today is whether this latest change of guard
within the TNI will help or hinder the reform process within the
military.

So far, we have not heard any credible explanation about how
these changes are tied to the TNI's commitment to reform. It is
no wonder that the speculation is continuing, with some
suggesting that the military is now divided between those who
want to push for speedier reform and those who want to hold back.

The delay in the reshuffle itself, albeit a small one, has in
no way reduced our admiration for the TNI in adhering to its
long-held tradition of regularly reshuffling its top leadership
so as to ensure the emergence of new generations of leaders.

Whatever view one has about the military leadership, past and
present, no one can deny that the TNI remains the only
institution in this country that has established a solid system
that guarantees the emergence of new leaders to effectively
safeguard its traditions. If only the civilian side, particularly
the political parties, was as efficiently and effectively
organized, this country would probably not be in such a mess
today.

The TNI system of grooming and picking its leaders is
certainly more transparent, and it is based in a large part, but
not wholly, on merit. All of the military top brass are selected
by the Wanjakti (the internal military promotions board), which
takes into account the track records and seniority of the
candidates.

This system virtually precludes the likelihood of unwarranted
direct interference from people outside the TNI.

It is, however, not a foolproof system. The recent appointment
of a number of senior officers with dubious track records points
to loopholes that need plugging. It suggests that loyalty to
superiors or officers of influence often counts for more than
seniority and merit when it comes to promotion.

Constitutionally, the only TNI job that is considered a
political appointment is that of its chief. This is the
constitutional prerogative of the President. She is required to
inform the House of Representatives of her selection, but does
not require its approval. But even the President is expected to
pick the TNI chief on the basis of nominations put before her by
Wanjakti.

The TNI's freedom to run its own affairs, including grooming
its future leaders, with little outside interference, is one of
the most visible benefits of reform. It certainly bodes well for
the campaign to turn the TNI into a professional force. During
the Soeharto regime prior to 1998, the military was heavily
politicized and loyalty to the supreme leader was the chief
criterion in promotion decisions, beating meritocracy and
seniority hands down.

Heaving reaped the benefits of reform, question marks now hang
over the TNI's own commitment to reform. Various decisions and
actions taken by the TNI of late have sent disturbing signals
that our military is no longer in step with the goals of
political reform and of promoting civil society in Indonesia.

The appointment of officers with links to the TNI's dark past,
its poor handling of the death of a Papuan separatist leader, its
uncooperative attitude toward investigations of human rights
violations, and its refusal to dismantle the Army's awesome
territorial structure are just some of the issues that have
raised doubts about the TNI's reform credentials.

Naturally, TNI watchers will be looking for some signals from
this latest leadership reshuffle about where the military is
heading. Given the endless speculation about the direction of the
TNI's development, it would help if its new leaders were to come
forward and give reassurances to the public of their commitment
to reform. The TNI must show that the goal of promoting a civil
society will be served by the latest change of guard.