TNI chief chided over election remark

TNI chief chided over election remark

Muhammad Nafik, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Military analysts lashed out at Indonesian Military (TNI) chief
Gen. Endriartono Sutarto on Sunday for urging his troops to shun
the 2004 general election, saying that the move contravened the
principles of democracy.

"The military shouldn't have made the call because it goes
against the principles of a democratic state, which emphasizes
civilian supremacy over the military," Hermawan Sulistyo of the
National Institute of Sciences (LIPI) told The Jakarta Post.

He said that with the call, TNI was trying to strengthen its
political bargaining position against electoral winners in 2004
after lawmakers scrapped its free seats in the House of
Representatives (DPR) and the People's Consultative Assembly
(MPR) three weeks ago.

"It is clearly a protest by the TNI against the revocation of
its non-elected seats in both the House and the Assembly,"
Hermawan said.

At a news conference here on Friday, Endriartono said he would
tell his soldiers not to use their right to vote in the 2004
general election out of fear that they would be overly influenced
by political parties.

"I realize that the right to vote is a basic political right
for all citizens, including soldiers. But since the country has
failed to show political maturity, I'm afraid the elections will
affect my soldiers, who lack political experience," he said.

Hermawan dismissed Endriartono's fear, that TNI members would
be fragmented should they exercise their right to vote, as
baseless.

"This fear means that the TNI is not a proper institution to
safeguard the country's integrity," he said.

Another military observer, Salim Said, said military leaders
could not prohibit their members from voting in the 2004 general
election because it was their political right as individuals.

Only judicial institutions have the right to remove the
political rights of individuals, he added.

"If the TNI chief only urges its members not to vote in the
elections, it's still all right because such a request is not
legally binding and soldiers are allowed to defy it," Salim said.

However, Hermawan said that any suggestion by the military
chief was traditionally considered an instruction that soldiers
must abide by.

"Soldiers will not defy the call as they consider it an order
for them. It's our unprofessional military culture, in which
individual and institutional rights cannot be differentiated," he
said.

Salim agreed with Hermawan, saying that whatever request or
order was issued by the military commander would be heeded by his
soldiers.

Fachry Ali, a political analyst, shared a similar view with
Hermawan, saying that the call violated the principles of
democracy and curbed the political rights of its soldiers, which
were guaranteed under prevailing laws.

The move could also make military personnel apathetic in
playing an active role in politics, and at the same time show
that the TNI was seeking to strengthen its political influence
among major parties, he said.

"With the call, the military could be seeking new political
compensation after losing its free seats in the legislative
bodies," Fachry told the Post.