SBY to have final say on TNI chief

SBY to have final say on TNI chief

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The saga over the replacement of the Indonesian Military (TNI)
chief is apparently nearing its concluding stages, as a plenary
meeting of the House of Representatives has agreed to give the
final say on the issue to the President.

The plenary meeting, attended by all House factions, agreed
that the recommendation -- which was drawn up by Commission I on
defense -- be submitted to the House's Consultative Body for
finalization.

"Because the House failed to give its endorsement within the
given time, we recommended that the House give the President the
authority to name the new TNI chief from the available
candidates," Commission I chairman Theo L. Sambuaga told the
plenary meeting.

The recommendation, however, would have to be deliberated
further at the House's consultative body for follow-up.

The consultative body would then decide if the recommendation
should be relayed to the President for implementation. However,
if the consultative body opted to bring the recommendation to
another plenary meeting, it would very likely win approval after
a vote.

Army chief Gen. Ryamizard Ryacudu, who had been named by
former president Megawati Soekarnoputri to replace TNI chief Gen.
Endriartono Sutarto, who resigned from his post, failed to turn
up at a selection hearing because of a restraint order from the
President.

The law regulating the TNI stipulates that the appointment and
removal of the TNI chief requires the approval of the House.

The House's decision was reached, however, without the
scuffles that have become a regular feature of the legislature.

Members of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's Democratic
Party faction at first did not want the plenary meeting to
discuss the recommendation produced by Commission I, saying that
they were never asked to participate in its deliberation.

Members of Nationhood Coalition responded by saying that all
factions had taken part in the deliberation. "The House
secretariat general always invites all members to all meetings,
so it's up to them if they choose not to show up," Permadi of the
Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) said.

The squabble brought the plenary meeting to a halt but resumed
an hour later.