Top officers, retirees hold closed-door talks

JAKARTA (JP): Indonesian Military (TNI) top brass and retired generals from both the police and military convened a closed-door meeting at Wisma Persada in Halim, East Jakarta on Wednesday.

The three-hour meeting, which ended on Wednesday afternoon, was described by former Armed Forces (ABRI) commander Gen. (ret) Try Sutrisno as "a normal gathering".

Try said that the meeting was to show support for both the TNI and National Police which have managed to take the correct steps and decisions during ousted president Abdurrahman Wahid's 1.5 years of chaotic rule.

None of the active officers were willing to make a statement.

Try also dismissed speculation that the meeting discussed the ongoing vice presidential race and that there were no specific instructions being given to the Assembly's TNI/Polri faction to cast their 38 votes for a certain candidate.

"We all, members of the military and our families are showing our support for the new President, Megawati Soekarnoputri, in leading Indonesia out of the crisis." Tri said as quoted by Antara.

Attending the Wednesday meeting were TNI commander Adm. Widodo A.S., all three military chiefs of staffs, TNI Chief of Territorial Affairs Lt. Gen. Agus Widjojo, TNI Chief of General Affairs Lt. Gen. Djamari Chaniago, along with retired generals such as Awaloedin Djamin and Roesdihardjo, both former National Police chiefs, and former Armed Forces (ABRI) chief of social and political affairs Lt. Gen. (ret) Syarwan Hamid.

Syarwan told the media that during the meeting he had suggested his support for the pairing of President Megawati Soekarnoputri and PPP (United Development Party) chairman Hamzah Haz.

"Mega must remember that the Axis Force had a big role in putting her into her present position and therefore she has to be able to accommodate the Islamic parties which play significant roles in the DPR/MPR," Syarwan said.

The Axis Force is an alliance of Muslim-based parties, including PPP, the National Mandate Party (PAN), the Justice Party (PK), which was forged by PAN's Amien Rais and his political aides ahead of the October 1999 presidential election.

The Axis Force successfully arranged a political coalition with the Golkar Party and the National Awakening Party (PKB) to foil Megawati Soekarnoputri's presidential bid in 1999.

Syarwan further said that if Megawati wanted to survive until 2004, she had to engage in reconciliation by turning her political opponents into "her friends".

Syarwan was the Armed Forces (ABRI) chief of political and social affairs who was in 1996 actively involved in ousting Megawati from her position as chairwoman of the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) at a government-backed PDI congress in Medan, North Sumatra. (tso)