TNI chief tells servicemen not to vote in 2004 election

TNI chief tells servicemen not to vote in 2004 election

Tiarma Siboro, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Less than three weeks after lawmakers agreed to scrap the
military and police's free seats in the House of Representatives
(DPR) and the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) by 2004,
Indonesian Military (TNI) chief Gen. Endriartono Sutarto has
urged his troops to shun the next general election.

Speaking during a press conference held at TNI headquarters in
Cilangkap, East Jakarta, on Friday, Endriartono said he would
tell his soldiers not to exercise their right to vote in the 2004
election for fear that they would be overly influenced by the
country's 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 election would
affect my soldiers, who lack political experience," Endriartono
said.

"I will request soldiers not to exercise their political
rights in the 2004 general election," he asserted.

In the fourth and last round of constitutional amendments
earlier this month, the country's highest legislative body,
agreed to change the components of the MPR by 2004 into the House
and the Regional Representatives Council (DPD), with all members
being elected.

The amendment will effectively scrap the military/police
faction both in the House and the Assembly, whose members are all
appointed by the their respective institutions.

Days before the MPR was due to convene for its annual session,
which was expected to put the final seal to the latest round of
constitutional amendments, Endriartono and other military leaders
called for a return to the original text of the 1945
Constitution, arguing that the amendment process had gone too
far.

A return to the 1945 Constitution would mean annulling all the
amendments made so far to the antiquated constitution, with the
result that the military and police would keep their seats in
both the DPR and MPR.

National Institute of Sciences (LIPI) military observer Ikrar
Nusa Bhakti questioned Endriartono's remarks, saying that as the
TNI chief, the four-star general had announced his political
stance despite repeated pledges to stop the institution from
engaging in day-to-day politics.

"Instead of asking his soldiers not to vote, Endriartono must
order TNI leaders to avoid political meetings with political
parties ahead of the general election," Ikrar told The Jakarta
Post on Friday.

According to Ikrar, Gen. Endriartono and other high-ranking
military officers must not show their political preferences to
soldiers as this would mean an abuse of power. "And for the
soldiers, Endriartono must order them to restrain themselves from
expressing their political preferences to other people before,
during and after they cast their votes," Ikrar said.

The House is currently deliberating the electoral bill, which,
among other things, grants military and police personnel the
right to vote.

TNI leaders have voiced objections to the bill, arguing that
allowing security personnel to exercise their voting rights would
ruin the esprit de corps of the military. They have also asked
for some time to effect internal consolidation prior to soldiers
being allowed to exercise their rights.

The last time soldiers were allowed to vote was in 1955, which
saw the military backing different political parties.

With the establishment of the New Order regime, Soeharto
banned the military from actively participating in elections and
instead granted it free seats in both the House and the Assembly.

But the dominant role of the military during the New Order
prompted people to demand that it give up its political role.

According to Ikrar, Endriartono's call showed that he was
unsure if soldiers could cope with exploitation by political
parties.

"As TNI leader, he has no right to veto the rights of
soldiers. And his statement today (Friday) has only served to
reveal his confusion," Ikrar said.

He also criticized Endriartono's statement that the country's
civilian leaders lacked political maturity.

"Instead of blaming the institution and himself, Endriartono
is simply pointing the finger at the civilian politicians," said
Ikrar, adding that two years was long enough to prepare military
personnel for the 2004 general election.