Wiranto to be sworn in to replace Hendro

By K. Basrie

JAKARTA (JP): Former City Military Chief of Staff Brig. Gen. Wiranto is scheduled to be inducted as new Jakarta Military Commander this morning to replace Maj. Gen. AM Hendropriyono.

The induction ceremony will be led by Army Chief of Staff Gen. Wismoyo Arismunandar at the city military headquarters on Jl. Sutoyo, East Jakarta.

Last Monday Brig. Gen. Wiranto handed over the position of chief of staff of the command to Col. Sutiyoso.

In an interview with The Jakarta Post in Bandung, West Java, on Saturday, Wiranto said: "I'll continue everything which has been carried out and planned by my predecessor."

As long as the plans are still valid for overcoming complicated problems in the city, "we will maintain them, carry out those plans as they have already been evaluated and analyzed before being implemented," he said at the inauguration ceremony of Hendropriyono as commander of the new Bandung-based Military Doctrine Supervision, Education and Training Command.

Born in Yogyakarta 47 years ago, the one-star general, who is also a member of the elite Indonesian Army's special red-beret force, finished his education in 1968 at the Magelang-based National Military Academy.

Most of his career was spent in East Timor, especially between 1974 and 1979, during the Seroja Operation.

In 1983, he joined the Army Staff Command School, a prerequisite for any military members, to get a strategic position.

Wiranto was assigned as an operational assistant at the 2nd Division of the Army Strategic Command in 1989 before being appointed as an adjutant to President Soeharto for four years, ending last year.

He was then appointed as the chief of staff of the city military command, the second top figure at the command, eight months ago.

His predecessor Hendropriyono commented: "The appointment of Wiranto is right because he is the person who, technically, carried out all our plans on the spot."

Wiranto, father of three children, is currently preparing for the examination at the Military Law College and Open University.

He is currently active in a number of sports organizations. As chairman of the Jakarta chapter for Shooting Club and of the Indonesian Bridge Association and as vice chairman of the National Taekwondo organization, as well as the Indonesian Boxing Council.

Like the other military batons, the new City Military Commander will automatically become commander of the Jakarta Garrison, which covers the city military, police, navy and air force. Wiranto will also become head of the Jakarta chapter of the Coordinating Agency for National Stability.

The military baton in the capital city certainly needs a qualified figure as the area, which covers Jakarta, Tangerang and Bekasi, is home to approximately 10 million people from different ethnic groups and economic levels. The area is prone to crime and other social problems.

Wiranto told the Post that he plans to continue the joint operation against racketeers, juvenile delinquency, prostitution, the illegal distribution and sale of drugs and spirits, and any youth organizations which may have been used improperly.

"We'll try to overcome all these problems together (with other related officers) because these problems are all our problems," he said.

"For example, we will try to further improve the condition of a youth organization, which has conducted many incorrect matters," he said without giving details.

It has been strongly believed that the induction of Winarto, will be followed later with the appointment of Deputy City Police Chief Brig. Gen. Dibyo Widodo, also an ex-adjutant to the President, to replace the current City Police Chief, Maj. Gen. Mochammad Hindarto.

A senior officer at the National Police Headquarters told the Post recently that a decree for the appointment of Dibyo Widodo as City Police Chief has already been issued.

"It's just a matter of time for the inauguration," said the source, who refused to be named.

It is highly expected that duo Wiranto-Dibyo could later cleanse the simple-minded suspicion coming from certain parties about their capability in overcoming the complicated problems in and around the city, in particular to demolish the so-called "untouchable figures with invisible hands".

"We have to fight hard (against these figures) in order to let the people feel free from anxiety," Hendro said.