National

TNI: People to Decide Regarding Ex Military President
23 April 2004

TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta:The Indonesian Military (TNI) says that it is up to the people of Indonesia to elect a president who is considered capable of building the nation of regardless his or her background.


Former military officers are entitled to run for the presidential election as they have become civilians who have equal political rights like all civilians.


”It’s all up to the people to elect whoever they like. This is their right in politics,” TNI chief Gen. Endriartono Sutarto told reporters at the Halim Perdanakusuma airport, Jakarta, on Thursday (22/4).


Sutarto made this comment in response to the candidacy of two former military officers, Wiranto from the Golkar party and Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono from the Democrat party, who will both take part in the presidential election on July 5.


Regarding several military retired officers who are now backing the two presidential candidates, Sutarto said that after their retirement from military, these people have similar status as other citizens.

“They have their rights in politics too,” he stated.

Sutarto said that active TNI officers have never been entitled to vote in elections as they have to maintain their neutrality.

However, he added, the families of these TNI officers have the right to vote in the next presidential election.

In order to maintain this neutrality, Sutarto promised that the TNI would not give its support as an institution to any one of the presidential candidates.

“TNI families are entitled to cast their own votes for whoever they like without any guidance from the TNI,” he stated.

Sutarto admitted that he had received offers to be a presidential as well as a vice presidential candidate.

However, he refused these offers as he considered himself more useful as the TNI chief, particularly at the current time, when the people are still in the process of conducting the election.

“So, I choose to remain in my position for the sake of the nation,” stated Sutarto. (Yandhrie Arvian - Tempo News Room)