Speculation continues over TNI deputy commander post
JAKARTA (JP): Speculation continued over the weekend regarding a revived post of deputy commander in the Indonesian Military (TNI), following Saturday's installment of Adm. Widodo A.S, who was the Navy's chief.
In Yogyakarta, a lecturer in government studies at Gadjah Mada University, Pratikno, said that the renewal of the post, vacant since 1983, was "part of a systematic effort to place TNI commander Gen. Wiranto in an influential position in the new administration."
Pratikno told The Jakarta Post on Friday that regardless of whether the next president was the incumbent B.J. Habibie or Megawati Soekarnoputri, or whether Wiranto would be nominated vice president, "the TNI will continuously conduct political pressure because... of their immediate need to save themselves from the reform process."
Students and other parties have demanded that the military be accountable for scores of alleged rights abuses across the country and that its dual function justifying its role in virtually all spheres of life be ended.
TNI has responded by drawing up its "new paradigm", in which it said it would now be only in the background of political life. It has 38 unelected seats in the next House of Representatives' five-year term.
Calls have been raised to exclude the military from the factions of regional representatives and interest group representatives in the upcoming People's Consultative Assembly.
Pratikno said the TNI now has a "minimum" political target -- to gradually withdraw from politics and save itself from the demands of reform.
"A deep fear" is spreading among TNI officers amid demands that it be accountable to alleged rights abuses, Pratikno said.
"To be safe from charges of its political sins for 30 years is everything to the TNI," Pratikno said.
"If that happens, various rights abuses, such as during military operations (for example in Aceh), would be exposed," he said, which, he added, would affect many high ranking officers and former officers involved in many cases.
Pratikno is of the opinion that it was better for TNI to support the more publicly acceptable Megawati, chairwoman of the leader in the poll, the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle, than the much criticized Habibie, the Golkar Party's presidential candidate.
"The guarantee that Habibie can protect the military from demands (to be accountable for abuses) is smaller than the guarantee which can be expected from Megawati," he said.
However, the military still deeply distrusts a civilian-led government, he said, which leads to a need to prepare Wiranto for an "influential" position by installing a deputy.
"It would be difficult for Megawati to ignore such demands (for TNI to become accountable to alleged rights abuses), unless she wants to see her supporters leave her," Pratikno said.
Wiranto has dismissed speculation linking the installment of a deputy to his possible nomination as vice president or even president in the presidential election at the end of the year.
On Saturday at the TNI headquarters he said, "All this time I have had to issue instructions to one of the TNI forces if I am not available," he said.
The Navy chief had been picked because of the many potential illegal trespassing of Indonesian waters, adding to security concerns, he said earlier.
Noted political lecturer Arbi Sanit had said Wiranto picked the Navy chief because the Navy is traditionally weaker than the Army.
On Sunday, Antara quoted a political researcher of the University of Jember, Himawan Bayu Patriadi, as saying that all speculation could end once Wiranto issued strategic policies. The news agency did not elaborate.(44/anr)