TNI to announce reshuffle in three days: Endriartono
TNI to announce reshuffle in three days: Endriartono
JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian Military (TNI) headquarters is
expected to announce a reshuffle within the next three days, Army
Chief of Staff Gen. Endriartono Sutarto said on Thursday.
He, however, dismissed speculation that the reshuffle would be
major, saying that it would only relate to routine staff
appointments, particularly at Army headquarters.
"The Army has finalized its reshuffle plan. We will only
replace the post of Chief of the Army Staff and Command School
(Seskoad) which has been vacant for almost a month after Pak
(Maj. Gen.) Bibit Waluyo was appointed as Chief of the Jakarta
Military Command," Endriartono told reporters after attending the
inauguration ceremony of the new National Resilience Institute
(Lemhanas) Governor Ermaya Suradinata.
Endriartono said that Maj. Gen. Suadi Atma, currently deputy
chief of the National Military Academy, will be appointed as the
new Seskoad chief.
Suadi is a 1970 graduate of the military academy and former
chief of the Sriwijaya Regional Military Command, which oversees
the provinces of Jambi, Bengkulu, South Sumatera and Lampung.
"None of the regional military commanders will be replaced,
including Pattimura Regional Military Commander Brig. Gen. I Made
Yasa," Endriartono said.
Made Yasa has been in hot water after the Maluku Muslim
community asked him to resign following the Hotel Wijaya II
incident in Ambon's capital Maluku earlier this month.
Endriartono said the Army has yet to replace Chief of the
Army's Strategic Reserves Command (Kostrad) Lt. Gen. Ryamizard
Ryacudu and Chief of Army's Special Force (Kopassus) Maj. Gen.
Amirul Isnaeni.
During the past two weeks, rumors have been rife that
President Abdurrahman Wahid had requested the replacement of
Endriartono, Ryamizard and Amirul for disobeying presidential
orders.
A source at TNI headquarters, however, told The Jakarta Post
that there will be a major reshuffle affecting senior officers
who were military academy graduates of the late 1960s.
"There will be no further appointments for senior military
officers who have reached the mandatory retirement age of 55
years," the source said. (02)