TNI candidates may tarnish democracy, warns Scholar

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.