TNI chief tells troops to steer clear of 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 third round of constitutional amendments in 2001, the MPR, 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.