President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono inaugurated Monday the new chiefs of staff for the Army, Navy and Air Force, at a ceremony at the Presidential Palace in Central Jakarta.
Lt. Gen. George Toisuta: JP/Berto Wedhatama
Lt. Gen. George Toisuta, formerly commander of the Army Strategic Command (Kostrad), is the new Army chief of staff; Vice Adm. Agus Suhartono, previously an inspector general at the Defense Ministry, now heads up the Navy, while Rear Marshall Imam Sufaat, formerly commander of the Air Force's Corps I, is the new Air Force chief.
George replaces Gen. Agustadi Sasongko, Agus takes over from Adm. Tedjo Edhi Purdijanto, while Imam comes in for Marshall Soebandrio.
In ordering the replacements, Yudhoyono declared the three former chiefs of staff had been "honorably discharged".
There has been no statement from either the Presidential Palace or the military on what posts the former chiefs will take up next.
Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Djoko Suyanto said the naming of new chiefs of staff was about due and had long been prepared for, but had not previously been publicized.
"Any new appointment for chief of staff is meant to support the process of regeneration and aid in the rotation of officers the TNI [Indonesian Military]," he said after the inauguration ceremony.
Djoko added more high-level appointments could soon follow, particularly that of TNI chief Djoko Santoso.
Agus Suhartono: JP/Berto Wedhatama
"The TNI chief will surely retire, but I don't know when," the minister said.
One observer calls the replacement of the three chiefs of staff a "sudden, unexpected" move, considering the new government has been in office less than 100 days.
University of Indonesia military analyst Bantarto Bandoro told The Jakarta Post over the weekend the move could used by Yudhoyono as a stepping stone to replace the police chief, who faces widespread public criticism for his handling of a criminal case involving Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) deputy chairmen Chandra Hamzah and Bibit Samad Rianto.
Parahyangan University military analyst Anak Agung Banyu Perwita said the promotion of George as Army chief of staff could be seen as a move to accelerate the promotion of Yudhoyono's brother-in-law, May. Gen. Pramono Edhi Wibowo, who in turn could smooth the way for the President's eldest son, Capt. Agus Harimurti, to rise through the ranks.
Imam Sufaat: JP/Berto Wedhatama
Profiles
Lt. Gen. George Toisutta, the former commander of the Army Strategic Command (Kostrad), graduated from the Military Academy in 1976 and started his military career in 1978 as a platoon commander.
In 2005, George was promoted as the Trikora Military District commander in Papua and later as the Siliwangi Military District commander in West Java in 2006.
He had a tour of duty in East and Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam.
Vice Adm. Agus Suhartono, the former inspector general at the Defense Ministry, graduated from the Navy Academy in 1978 and started his military career in various warships in the Eastern Fleet Command in 1979.
In 2002 Agus was assigned as the commander of the Easter Fleet Command's training unit.
Rear Marshall Imam Sufaat, the former commander of the Air Force's Corps I, graduated from the Air Force Academy in 1977 and started his military career as a combat plane pilot in the third Air Squadron.
In 1997/1998 Imam was entrusted as an Air Attache in London.
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