TNI joint chiefs of staff needs DPR approval
JAKARTA (JP): Representatives of most factions at the People's Consultative Assembly have agreed on the formation of a joint chiefs of staff of the Indonesia Military (TNI).
An Assembly ad hoc committee meeting charged with formulating a decree on TNI/Police also proposed that the head of the chief of staffs be approved by the House of Representatives.
"The head of the TNI joint chief of staff should be installed by the President with the House's approval," Mutammimul Ula, who chaired the ad hoc committee, said on Friday.
Mutammimul said the stipulation of House approval was aimed at preventing fears that the president could use the military for his or her own political interests.
He claimed that seven factions, including the TNI/Police faction, out of the Assembly's 10, agreed with the need for the House's approval for the installment of the head of the TNI chief of staff.
"We hope the decree can be endorsed in the general session of the Assembly in August," he said.
During the meeting there was also discussion that the joint chief of staff be selected on a rotational basis from one of the three forces -- the Navy, the Army and the Air Force.
The current law stipulates that the TNI chief or commander is appointed by the president without House approval.
The current TNI chief is Adm. Widodo A.S.
Seats
On the question of TNI's presence in the Assembly, Mutammimul said almost all factions during the meeting agreed that the TNI should still be given seats, at least for five years after the 2004 general elections.
He said the TNI/Police faction had asked for seats since they had relinquished their right to vote during the general elections.
However some factions suggested that the police force be allowed to vote in elections, but, like civil servants, officers should resign if they wanted to be nominated in the election.
"There is the thinking that the police should be considered separate from civilians," Mutammimul from the Reform faction said.
He said others proposal discussed included the police force being placed under the home affair's ministry and the TNI under the coordination of the defense ministry.
Currently both are under the defense ministry.
TNI/Police faction, however, proposed the police be placed directly under the president and function as a non-ministerial institution.
Mutammimul also revealed that another faction had suggested that the police be independent and be placed under a board of commissioners, similar to the Japanese model.
Mutammimul said that majority of the factions agreed that the police chief could be installed by the president without House approval.
"About the police chief, there are no worries that he or she will be used by the president for power or interest," he said.
On the role of the TNI in maintaining domestic security, some factions suggested that TNI officers be used only in special situations, such as riots, after a request from police. The police would have the primary responsibility for maintaining order.
Most factions, including TNI/Police, agreed that military forces should only be used in domestic situations having been instructed to by the government or local administration. (jun)