TNI remains dominant in politics

Muhammad Nafik, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The Indonesian Military (TNI) is still powerful in politics and is even seeking to reinstate its control over the civilian leadership, prompting the stalling of the nation's sweeping reforms, says a study into the views of researchers and observers.

"As a significant political force, the military institution is still an inseparable part of the whole complicated set of interplays and political processes during the current transitional period," the study said on Wednesday.

It said the 1988 downfall of the dictator Soeharto sparked nationwide demands for the TNI to soon end its political role, but the reality showed that the TNI was still very much involved with its dual function -- politics and security -- despite its promise to only focus on security by 2009.

"Their strategic aim is to maintain their 'corporate interests' by following the political logic that develops in the transitional period, while trying to divert it if at all possible," added the study, which was jointly conducted by the Institute for Economics and Social Research, Education and Information (LP3ES) and the Center for the Study of Development and Democracy (Cesda).

This included the move by many generals to join major political groups, including President Megawati Soekarnoputri's Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan), Vice President Hamzah Haz's United Development Party (PPP), and the Golkar Party led by House of Representatives Speaker Akbar Tandjung, who is currently on trial in a high-profile graft scam.

Coordinating Minister for Political Affairs and Security Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, a retired three-star general, has even been accused of wanting to replace Megawati as the President. To smooth his political agenda, he has reportedly established a political party to contest the 2004 general elections.

The survey said such political maneuvers have provoked rivalry within the military itself between pro-reform and pro- status quo generals.

But it stressed that the small group of reformist generals, like former chief of the Army's Strategic Reserves Command (Kostrad) Maj. Gen. Agus Wirahadikusuma, were later sidelined in the struggle for internal power.

President Abdurrahman Wahid's government had tried to take "progressive steps" in an effort to reform the TNI by the unprecedented appointment of a Navy admiral as its chief, ensuring that different persons held the top military post and the defense portfolio, and separating the National Police from the Indonesian Military.

In dealing with the separatist conflicts in the troubled provinces of Aceh and Papua, Abdurrahman emphasized dialog rather than repressive military approaches.

However, his reform agenda faced strong resistance from the antireform generals, which in part led to his ouster in August of last year.

"The efforts to block Gus Dur's ideas and moves appeared to sometimes be the result of his controversial statements, but politically, they should be considered as the resistance of status-quo elements against his policies," the study said.

Political observer Syamsuddin Harris said the strong political grip of the military stemmed from the failure of the civilian leadership to consolidate and draw up a clear reform agenda.

"Even the civilian leadership tends to be an oligarchy," he said.

Meanwhile, Syamsuddin said the military and other pro-status quo forces had succeeded in consolidating their power in the transitional period.

On the other hand, the study said that the members of the ruling elite, including Megawati's government, had no choice but to collaborate with the TNI to maintain their power, forcing them to avoid being firm with the military.

The stalled human rights trials of military officers were clear proof that the current civilian government was apparently reluctant to take serious action against the TNI, it added.

Another political scientist, Kusnanto Anggoro from the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), expressed a similar opinion.

He attributed the civilian leadership's failure to give effect to reform to its poor professionalism and skills in running the country.

Kusnanto called for efforts to develop and strengthen the civilian leadership's capabilities in bringing about political control over the military.

"The military should not be allowed to draft and enact their own rules. The civilian leadership must also play a role in this regard," he added.