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.