Sutiyoso backs military officers' appointment

Sutiyoso backs military officers' appointment

JAKARTA (JP): Governor Sutiyoso on Thursday defended the
appointment of five new military officers to the city's top
positions next week, arguing that their assignment "had been
processed a long time ago".

The appointment of the five military officials could not be
canceled as it was requested by the city administration, the
governor said.

"The administration made the request two years ago," he said.

"Furthermore, when we processed the appointment of the
military members, the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) had
yet to decide to reduce the number of ABRI (Armed Forces)
members," he said.

The five ABRI personnel, whose names and ranks remain a
mystery, would be installed next Monday along with two civil
servants in the senior posts in the city administration.

The military members will be appointed as heads of the city
land transportation agency, the city sanitary agency, the city
parking agency, city's social and political affairs directorate
and the civilian defense unit's provincial headquarters.

The two civilians would chair the city-owned market management
PD Pasar Jaya and the development finance controller.

The plan to reduce the number of ABRI officers in the city
administration was first announced on Monday in accordance with
the final results of last week's MPR Special Session which would
reduce the number of military members in the Assembly by stages.

Many city officials, including those with military
backgrounds, hailed the plan. Some, however, warned that the
disappearance of military officials must also lead the civil
servants to improve the bad image of the public services of the
city administration.

Pledge

Sutiyoso pledged on Thursday that his administration would no
longer want to hire any more ABRI members for any posts in the
city administration.

Officials to be replaced by the new five military personnel,
he said, were also from ABRI.

"So, there's no additional number," the governor, who is an
active three-star military general, said.

Like in many other provincial administrations, many important
posts in the Jakarta administration were held by military
officers such as colonels.

Two of Sutiyoso's three deputies are even active two-star
generals. They are Deputy Governor for Administrative Affairs
Abdul Kahfi and Deputy Governor for Social Welfare Affairs
Djailani.

Two of the city's five mayoralties, namely Central Jakarta and
North Jakarta, are headed by military officials: Col. Andi Subur
Abdullah and Col. Soebagyo (from the Marine), respectively.

Several other posts are also chaired by military members such
as the city office of public relations affairs, city public order
office, city social disturbance office and city fire agency.

Sutiyoso rejected the widespread public accusation that ABRI
members had been improperly selected to chair certain posts in
the administration.

"There's never such a kind of procedure. Military members are
recruited because they are asked for by the administration," he
said. (ind)