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.