TNI's defensive posture raises questions

TNI's defensive posture raises questions

Abu Hanifah, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The way the Indonesian Military (TNI) is vehemently defending the
leadership of its incumbent chief, Navy Adm. Widodo A.S, has
sparked speculation that it does not see eye to eye with
President Megawati Soekarnoputri.

The TNI has gone all out to publicly express its opposition to
Widodo being replaced, pouring cold water on an ongoing debate
about a succession in the military leadership.

Chiefs of staff of the Army, Navy and the Air Force have
rallied behind Widodo's leadership, although he has long passed
the mandatory retirement age of 55 for military officers.

To hammer home their point, the TNI disclosed this week that
Widodo's active service had already been extended in 1999, by
then TNI chief Gen. Wiranto.

At the time, Widodo was TNI deputy chief.

Promoted to the TNI's number one job by President Abdurrahman
Wahid in October 1999, he is not due to retire from active
service until 2004.

While this extension in his military service is shrouded with
controversy -- traditionally, only the President can extend the
service of an officer beyond his mandatory retirement age and,
usually, it is only on a yearly basis -- it has become a
significant weapon in the TNI's defense of Widodo.

Megawati will now have to find a stronger excuse for wanting
to replace her TNI chief other than mandatory retirement, while
she also cannot fault his performance.

When Megawati selected her Cabinet two weeks into her
presidency in August, she omitted the name of the new TNI chief
for a later occasion.

Since then, politicians have been debating the position and
names of potential successors have been thrown around, with Air
Force Chief of Staff Marshall Hanafi Asnan leading the pack.

President Megawati has the prerogative to appoint and dismiss
the TNI chief with the approval of the House of Representatives
(DPR). DPR Speaker Akbar Tandjung disclosed this week that
Megawati had contacted him about her plan to nominate a new TNI
chief.

The way the TNI leadership balks at the idea of replacing
Widodo is loathed by politicians and observers, who say their
action borders on insubordination, undermining the TNI supreme
commander.

The same set of military commanders defied President
Abdurrahman Wahid when he ordered them to impose a state of
emergency as he hung dearly to power on the last days before he
was forced out of office.

Ikrar Nusabakti of the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI)
questioned the validity of Wiranto's 1999 decree extending
Widodo's active service by four years.

"The decree is a legacy of past politics and unsuited to the
current condition," Ikrar told The Jakarta Post.

"It was part of Wiranto's own political agenda. He needed
Widodo as a buffer against other Army officers who were
challenging his own position," he said, adding that Megawati had
the right to revoke the decree if she wanted to.

Is there a strong reason why Widodo should be replaced?

Ikrar said the TNI was now due for a change of guard.

If the leadership succession is not conducted soon, it will
hamper the military's regeneration process and could frustrate
young and bright officers, he said.

Widodo, whose 1999 appointment broke a long tradition of the
top military position being held by Army officers, has stayed out
of the fray. He has reportedly proposed four candidates to take
his place.

Yasril Ananta Baharuddin of Golkar said he detested Army Chief
of Staff Gen. Endriartono Sutarto's decision to go public in
support of Widodo remaining as TNI chief.

"Such a statement could only have been made by the TNI
Headquarters," Yasril said.

Permadi of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI
Perjuangan) disclosed that Megawati would prefer a younger
officer in charge of the TNI.

Permadi said that, since Widodo had publicly stated his
willingness to step aside, Megawati should just go ahead and find
his replacement.

Nazaruddin Sjamsuddin of the University of Indonesia feared
that the Army, by far the most powerful of the three services in
the TNI, would rather see Widodo retained then let the post go to
an Air Force officer, Antara reported.

He recalled that, when Widodo was appointed as TNI chief in
1999, there was an unwritten understanding that the position
should be rotated between the three services and that it would be
the Air Force's turn next.

"The Army leadership is not too happy with this rotation
system," he told the news agency.

By keeping Widodo in his post for at least one more year, the
Army leadership hopes that there will be less pressure on using
the rotation system and that the chance of the post being awarded
to an Army officer will be greater, he said.