Should Next TNI Chief be from NAVY?

Jakarta, Indonesia (News Today) - The next Military (TNI) Chief should come from the Navy as Indonesia is basically a maritime country.

"The TNI chief should come from the Navy, because we wish to strengthen the country which is geographically largely the sea which can also strengthen our marine fleet," Member of Commission I of the House of Representatives National Awakening Party faction (F-PKB) Lili Chadidjah Wahid said in Jakarta Sunday.

Lily Wahid said the TNI Chief was General (ret.) Djoko Suyanto who came from the Air Force, and the current TNI chief General Djoko Santoso came from the Army.

"Well now it is the turn of the Navy. The present TNI chief cannot do anything, like waging a war with one’s own people," Lily Wahid said.

In the meantime, member of the House’s Commission I of the Indonesia Raya Movement Party faction (F-Gerindra) Ahmad Muzani said the next TNI chief needs to be able to promote TMI’s arms standard because it was always been far below the standard of the country’s neighboring countries.

"TNI’s arms had been far below those of the country’s armament, and such a condition is prone to the unity of the Indonesian Republic. We are worried about it," Muzani said. Besides, he added, the new TNI chief needs to fully understand matters relating to TNI’s human resources, meeting correct training standards.

"As far as commission I was concerned, who President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono will replace General Djoko Santoso was entirely the President’s prerogative. Obviously the President knows best who deserve to become the next TNI Chief in October 2010. The important thing is that the the TNI chief and the TNI in general must not be politicized," he said.

Muzani also said however that actually the turn of a TNI, whether it from the Army, Air Force, or Navy, is not a must.

"The law did not require that a replacement of the TNI chief must be carried out by turn from the armed forces," Muzani said.

Source : kompas

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