TNI retains political clout despite exit from MPR"

TNI retains political clout despite exit from MPR"

The Jakarta Post
Jakarta

The Indonesian Military (TNI)'s surrender of its seats in the
People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) has been applauded by many,
but one analyst says the retreat is symbolic, noting that much of
the TNI's political clout lies outside the MPR.

Military analyst at the Center for Strategic and International
Studies (CSIS) Rizal Sugma said the TNI's decision to pull out
from the MPR by 2004, or five years ahead of schedule, was
encouraging but far from adequate.

In fact, the TNI's exit was more "by default rather than
design," he told participants at a media discussion on politics
held by the CSIS on Thursday.

The TNI and the National Police occupy seats at the MPR
through interest group factions whose members are not elected.
They also occupy complimentary seats at the House of
Representatives.

Rizal said the TNI and the National Police had to pull out of
the MPR, otherwise they would have stood in the way of the
amendments to the 1945 Constitution.

The MPR, which until last week was the country's highest law-
making body, agreed to the fourth and final batch of amendments
and in the process, scrapped the interest group factions from the
legislature.

After the 2004 general elections, the new MPR will consist
only of elected members from the House of Representatives and the
Regional Representatives Council.

Rizal said the TNI's slowness in giving up its role in
politics was also the result of civilian incompetence.

As long as politicians continued to rely on the TNI to further
their own interests, the TNI would retain its clout, he said.

"Politicians shouldn't be pulling the military into politics
to garner support against competition from other parties," Rizal
later told reporters.

Analysts, and politicians as well, have long noted TNI's
strategic role in politics. Last year the TNI played a crucial
role in bringing down President Abdurrahman Wahid -- by simply
ignoring his orders.

Abdurrahman fell out of favor with the TNI due to his tough
reform measures. He marked his first months in office by sacking
retired General Wiranto as Defense Minister in late 1999.

Abdurrahman reshuffled the military in an attempt to force
them to bow to his government, all of which eventually cost him
its support.

His successor, President Megawati Soekarnoputri, is seen as
refraining from meddling in the TNI's internal affairs. Activists
accuse her of allowing the TNI to take over the state's security
policies.

"It's still a long way off before we have a professional
military," Rizal said.

He identified four steps the government must take to build and
secure a professional military.

Firstly, the government must issue a national defense policy
which clearly defined the military's role and its needs, he said.

Secondly, the government should place the TNI under the
defense minister instead of directly under the president. "Right
now, the TNI chief's position is equal to that of a minister, but
the president can't be bothered with issues like troop
deployments."

The third step was to increase the military's budget as it
covered only 30 percent of the TNI's costs -- a condition that
lended the military some financial independence from the state,
he said.

Fourthly, the government should draw up "rules of engagement"
to provide soldiers with rules of professional conduct.