Wiranto named new Armed Forces chief

JAKARTA (JP): Army Chief of Staff Gen. Wiranto was appointed the new Armed Forces commander yesterday, replacing Gen. Feisal Tanjung who has held the post for the last four years.

Briefing the media after reporting the results of the Armed Forces leadership meeting to President Soeharto, Feisal said Wiranto's current position would be handed over to the latter's deputy, Lt. Gen. Subagyo Hadisiswoyo.

Feisal's retirement and Wiranto's promotion were stipulated in a presidential decree, while Subagyo's post and rank promotion were confirmed in two separate presidential decrees. All decrees were signed by President Soeharto Wednesday.

Feisal, 58, is a 1962 graduate of the National Military Academy (AMN), the precursor of the Armed Forces Military Academy (Akabri). He passed the mandatory retirement age of 55 in 1994, but was retained by Soeharto to serve for four more years as the Armed Forces commander.

Wiranto, who will turn 51 next April, is a 1968 graduate of the academy.

After a long low-profile career in the infantry and the Army's Strategic Reserves Command (Kostrad), Wiranto shot to prominence when he was promoted colonel and served as President Soeharto's adjutant from 1989 to 1993.

He was promoted to two-star general and appointed chief of the Jakarta Regional Military Command in 1994 before becoming Kostrad chief, a three-star position, two years later.

Last year Wiranto was promoted to a full four-star general and appointed Army chief of staff.

Subagyo, who turns 52 next June, is a 1970 Akabri graduate and spent most of his military career in the Army's Special Force (Kopassus).

His career received a boost after he was appointed chief of the Presidential Security Squad in 1986.

He was posted to the Armed Forces' intelligence body in 1993 and was appointed head of the Army special force (Kopassus) the following year.

After promotion to a two-star general, he was appointed chief of the Central Java Regional Military Command in December 1995. In June 1997, he was assigned greater responsibility as deputy Army Chief of Staff, a post for a three-star general.

The transfer and promotion in the Armed Forces headquarters was part of a huge and orderly tour of duty and tour of area in the military.

Together with Wiranto and Subagyo, the Armed Forces headquarters also transferred and promoted other high-ranking officers in order to facilitate regeneration.

Sociopolitics

The post of Armed Forces chief of sociopolitical affairs will be held by Maj. Gen. Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, a 1973 Akabri graduate. He replaces Lt. Gen. Yunus Yosfiah, a 1965 AMN graduate.

The new Armed Forces chief of general affairs will be Maj. Gen. Fachrul Razi, a 1972 Akabri graduate. He replaces Lt. Gen. Tarub, Yunus' classmate in the academy.

No information was available as to whether promotions were imminent for Susilo and Fachrul Razi. No news was available either on the new posts for Yunus and Tarub.

Subagyo will be replaced by current Kostrad chief Lt. Gen. Sugiono, a 1971 Akabri graduate. Sugiono will remain a three-star general.

Meanwhile, Commandant-general of Kopassus Maj. Gen. Prabowo Subianto will step into the vacancy left by Sugiono. The new post for Prabowo, a 1974 Akabri graduate who is a two-star general, is usually held by a three-star general. However, no information was available on when he would be promoted.

Meanwhile, Kalimantan's Tanjungpura Regional Military Commander Maj. Gen. Muchdi P.R., has been appointed the new Kopassus chief. The commander of Kostrad's First Division, Maj. Gen. I Nyoman Suwisma, will replace Muchdi.

Muchdi is a 1970 Akabri graduate, while Suwisma passed out of the academy in 1971.

Feisal said the ceremony to install both Wiranto and Subagyo would be held at the State Palace on Monday, while the ceremony signifying a transfer of duty from Feisal to Wiranto would be held at the military headquarters on Feb. 20.

The transfer of duty for the other officers will take place after the general session of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR).

Feisal dismissed speculation that the ongoing process of transfer and promotion in the Armed Forces headquarters only affected those close to President Soeharto.

"No, it's not true," he said, "because, transfers and promotions in ABRI are decided by the Armed Forces' Rank and Promotion Council and will always be based on a merit system."

He said those officers promoted and transferred were chosen because they were the best among their classmates, dedicated to their jobs and loyal to the President. (imn/prb)