Retired officers recruited as legislative aspirants

Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Virtually all big political parties have recruited former military or police officers as legislative candidates, a move aimed at luring as many voters as possible in the 2004 elections.

The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), Golkar, the National Awakening Party (PKB) and the National Mandate Party have all enlisted former military and police officers as party leaders and candidates in the upcoming elections.

Even the United Development Party (PPP), which, during the 33- year rule of former dictator Soeharto, was largely shunned by the military and police, has several retired officers as its legislative candidates.

"They remain major assets to the country. Besides, it is their political right to join parties especially now that they have left their institutions," Slamet Effendy Yusuf of the Golkar Party told The Jakarta Post on Thursday.

PDI-P has recruited Lt. Gen. (ret) Slamet Supriyadi, Insp. Gen. (ret) Adang Ruchiyatna and Insp. Gen. (ret) Nurdin as their legislative candidates, while PPP nominated former attorney general Maj. Gen. (ret) Andi Ghalib and former minister of information Lt. Gen. (ret) Yunus Yosfiah.

Golkar, which during Soeharto's regime became the main political bandwagon of former military and police officers, had enlisted Lt. Gen. (ret) Budhi Harsono in their legislative list.

Effendy Yusuf said there was no reason to fear the inclusion of retired security officers would facilitate the return of the military into the country's political life.

"We have many new regulations that ensure democracy and provide no room for the military to return," he said.

PPP secretary general Endin Soefihara said the presence of retired generals in his party was supported by their constituents.

"None of those names are appointed, so as long as our constituents want these men to be their representatives, we do not see any problems," Endin said.

He said the retired generals were assets to the party as these former security officers had capability and experience in the nation's politics.

The country had agreed that the military and police faction would be eliminated from the House of Representatives (DPR) in 2004 and from the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) in 2009.

The newly amended 1945 Constitution stipulates that the military focus on its defense role, and police on its security role, and must relinquish their political roles.

The changes are one of the most significant results of the reform movement as the military under Soeharto's rule used to dominate the country's politics.