TNI candidates may tarnish democracy, warns Scholar

Nethy Dharma Somba and Sjofiardi Bachyul, The Jakarta Post, Jayapura/Padang

A Papuan scholar criticized on Thursday the Indonesian military's (TNI) decision to allow its personnel to become candidates for political office in the upcoming regional elections, saying that it could undermine democracy.

"Many people have expressed concern that, if the officers become candidates in the election, then the TNI, as an institution, might intervene to help him or her. There is fear that it can lead to possible abuses of power that can tarnish democracy," said Bambang Sugianto, a lecturer at Cendrawasih University in Jayapura, Papua. Similar concerns were also expressed by the chief of the Agam regency Election Supervisory Committee (Panwaslu) in West Sumatra, Raymon.

According to Raymon, their candidacies were legal, but they could spark fear that the TNI candidates could make use of TNI facilities, including the entire TNI network, to win the election.

"In order to prevent this, we have made an agreement with the Agam military command, so they will stick to the regulations and not abuse their facilities to allow the TNI candidates to win the election," said Raymon.

Bambang and Raymon were voicing their concerns after the TNI allowed at least six of its officers to register and become candidates for regent and vice regent posts in the upcoming regional elections this June. The six included Lt. Col. Bastiam who will run for the post of Agam Regent and Maj. Abdul Rais Ashar Sadar, who is vying for the job of regent in Yapen Waropen regency, Papua.

The TNI has suspended them from their current military posts pending the election outcome, however concerns remain that the could use TNI assets and networks to win the elections.

Separately, Lt. Col. Bastiam sought to ease public concerns, saying that TNI personnel were allowed by the law, namely Law no. 32/2004 on regional government, to participate in the elections.

"The TNI personnel have the right to be nominated for government posts. If there is a party that impedes the candidacy of TNI personnel in the election, then it will be a violation of our human rights," said Bastiam who is currently a senior officer at the TNI headquarters in Jakarta.

Bastiam acknowledged the reality that the TNI had been associated with a repressive regime, but, he insisted, the situation had changed since the reform era began over seven years ago.

"These fears are not realistic or subjective. The TNI may have committed mistakes, but they were past mistakes. The public should now be more objective," explained Bastiam.

Bastiam added that he chose to run in the election after he was nominated by the United Development Party (PPP).

Bastiam promised that he would not mobilize human resources and TNI facilities to win the election and that he would only use PPP and public facilities -- in line with the law.

Meanwhile, responding to the candidacy of a TNI Maj. Abdul in Papua, another political observer from Cendrawasih University Beatus Tambaib, said that psychologically it would be very hard for Papuans to accept the candidacy of a TNI officer.

But, it was also hard to predict whether the TNI officer will lose or win the upcoming election in June, he said without elaborating.