Jakarta – The executive director of Indonesian Human Rights Watch (Imparsial), Munir, says that the drawing in or courting active military officers to enter politics will only destroy the nation’s system of defense. This statement was issued by Munir on Monday April 19 in response to [Golkar Party chairperson] Akbar Tanjung’s plan to team up with TNI (armed forces) chief General Endriartono Sutarto as his vice-presidential candidate.

Munir said that this ambition only shows that the political parties have misread the wishes of the public. The political parties still see the military as an important political machine while the public does not want the military to be involved in politics.

Even if the political parties want to team up with the military added Munir, they must first clarify the military’s position to the public in order that the military institutions do not be come an arena of competition by the political parties. Aside from this, military officers who are involved in politics must resign form their respective military institutions.

Munir gave the example of the position of [Democratic Party presidential candidate and recently resigned coordinating minister for politics and security] Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. According to Munir, Yudhoyono’s position within the TNI needs to be clarified. Similarly the TNI’s position as a neutral institution. “Any retired TNI officer who teams up with a political party must explain well beforehand their position and attitude, particularly with regard to their institution (the TNI)”, said Munir.

Munir acknowledged that it is difficult to separate retired TNI military officers from their institutions. But that will not become a problem if it is explained to the public beforehand. This is in order to avoid any tendencies for the misuse of the institution.

Political observer Ikrar Nusabakti said that the tendency of political parties to team up with the military is nothing new. Previously, [National Mandate Party chairperson] Amien Rais teamed up with Yudhoyono as a vice-presidential candidate. This tendency is because the military believes that this can create effective government and guarantee that an administration headed by a political party (civilian) will not be disrupted by the TNI. Nusabakti added that in viewing this phenomena, the public must be provided with guarantees that the next government will not become like the New Order government [of former President Suharto].

[Translated by James Balowski.]