Ryamizard, Djamari strong candidates to hold Army chief of staff post
Ryamizard, Djamari strong candidates to hold Army chief of staff post
Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Following reshuffles in the chief of staff posts of the
Indonesian Navy and Air Force, President Megawati Soekarnoputri
will soon decide another reshuffle in the Army as well.
Incumbent Army Chief of Staff Gen. Endriartono Sutarto said on
Thursday that the Indonesian Military (TNI) had submitted the
names of two candidates for the post and awaited a decision from
the President.
"The TNI has submitted two names and one will be the more
suitable. Whoever is chosen will be the best choice," Endriartono
said on the sidelines of the inauguration ceremony of the new
Navy and Air Force chiefs of staff at the State Palace.
Reports circulating at the palace said the two candidates for
the Army chief of staff were incumbent Commander of the Army's
Strategic Reserves Command (Kostrad) Lt. Gen. Ryamizard Ryacudu
and incumbent Chief of Staff for General Affairs Lt. Gen. Djamari
Chaniago.
The TNI has started filling key posts and is expected to end
the process with the appointment of the new TNI chief, to replace
Adm. Widodo A.S.
When asked about his replacement, Widodo said on Thursday that
it rested with the President to determine when the reshuffle
would take place and who would be chosen, as the TNI had already
proposed its candidates for the important post.
It was reported earlier that Endriartono himself was the
strongest candidate to fill Widodo's shoes, especially after his
service period was prolonged to 2007 as he had reached the
mandatory retirement age this month.
It is likely that Megawati will wait for input from the House
of Representatives, which will start its next sitting on May 13.
In line with the Constitution, the President has asked for
approval from the House for the TNI chief's appointment.
Newly installed Navy Chief of Staff Adm. Bernard Kent Sondakh
and Air Force Chief of Staff Marshall Chappy Hakim were
inaugurated on Thursday by the President in a modest ceremony at
the State Palace.
Attended by most ministers, Megawati did not make a speech in
the 30-minute ceremony and left the venue immediately as she had
to lead a Cabinet meeting.
The two new chiefs of staff also refused to make any statement
to the media, saying that they would wait until the handover
ceremony, scheduled on Friday, before saying anything in public.
The appointment of the two officials to such strategic
positions has raised questions, as the two are nearing retirement
age and were not high-profile officials.
In reply to the skepticism that has been voiced by many,
Widodo underlined that there were many factors that had been
taken into consideration by the President when appointing
officials to such important posts.
"Of course there are considerations other than just age when
deciding which officials to be appointed to such strategic and
important posts," Widodo said after the ceremony.