In the wake of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's 'reprimand' that there were attempts to lure senior TNI officers into being involved in politics, yet another issue has emerged:
NCOs tasked with village security have been directing locals to vote for a particular candidate. There have been reports of NCOs campaigning in various areas for people to vote for 'the firm candidate', in reference to Prabowo Subianto, the retired Special Forces general.
Last week Moeldoko gathered all of his 61 generals and senior officers to a meeting that lasted three hours, although the three service chiefs of staff failed to attend and only sent their deputies.
They lined up behind him when he gave his press conference last week. "We are united. Command is in the hands of the TNI chief commander," stressed Moeldoko.
He spoke with Tempo reporters Agustina Widiarsi and Amos Simanungkalit, who met him at the TNI Headquarters in Cilangkap, East Jakarta, last week. Excerpts:
What was the result of your meeting with the commanders?
We evaluated the latest situation. We also set in motion preparation for all TNI forces to assist the police in securing the presidential election. I emphasized again the issue of TNI's neutrality. All the commanders stated their readiness to maintain neutrality. The public should not doubt our neutrality.
Was the neutrality re-emphasized because of the babinsa (NCOs assigned to villages as part of the army's territorial network) case who apparently pushed people into voting a certain way?
That's nonsense. No babinsa intervened to influence people over which candidate they should vote for.
I have spoken to all my commanders, and it's final, there was no line of command (over the issue). There is no need to discuss it any longer because our neutrality was not breached. I don't like such charges pointed at our babinsa.
Actually, to which line of command do the babinsa report?
If it's a territorial operation, the line of command would be under the army chief of staff.
So why does the conclusion of the TNI commander on the case differ from that of the army chief of staff, who clearly stated there was a violation?
In a political situation, the person who delivers information should be the TNI commander. When the case was first reported we immediately checked it out. The result was that there was no breach of our neutrality.
It was a technical personnel problem of the babinsa. The army chief of staff saw it from the professionalism viewpoint and there were certain improprieties carried out by the babinsa. The army chief of staff has already taken action against the relevant personnel.
There have been suggestions that during the presidential elections the babinsa should be withdrawn.
They will not be withdrawn. The babinsa is our leading force in maintaining territorial operations in accordance with the defence doctrine as mandated by the 1945 Constitution. I have ordered all regiment and district commanders, as well as the regional commanders to secure our territories as best as possible.
They must not cross the line. If they do not remain neutral, I will take firm action against them.
How can you be sure that soldiers at the lowest rung will be immune to the orders of their former commanders, who seem to have taken sides in the election?
Right from the start we told the soldiers: don't feel you need to give up your neutrality because of your loyalty to former commanders, because of your ties to a particular region, because of emotional ties or because you were given money.
Even though former commanders can be found in both sides of the race, ignore them. There should be no loyalty to former commanders.
Loyalty to former commanders meaning…
Retired officers who are supporting either of the candidates. They may have their own specific interests.
Is the rivalry between the retired officers that serious?
You've seen it yourself. I am very upset about the situation. Apart from being unproductive it is not healthy for the soldier to see, particularly when there's been idle gossip that these retired officers when they die, do not deserve to be seen to their grave.
How influential are retired officers?
For sure, whatever the retired officers say will not affect us, the TNI.
Source : Tempo
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