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SBY’s son’s decision to enter politics regretted: TNI
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Professional services: Indonesian Military Commander Gen. Gatot Nurmantyo (right) shakes hands with Army chief of staff Gen Mulyono after a transfer of office ceremony on July 15. (tempo.co/Imam Sukamto)
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ndonesian Military (TNI) Commander Gen. Gatot Nurmantyo has said he very much regrets Maj. Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono's decision to retire from the Army to run in the 2017 Jakarta gubernatorial election because he would have had a bright future in the military.
Gatot explained that Agus, the eldest son of former President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY), had always been top of his class since he was a student of SMA Taruna Nusantara senior high school and throughout his further studies at the Military Academy (Akmil).
Agus, who graduated in 2000, was awarded the prestigious Adhi Makayasa medal for best graduate, he further said.
Gatot went on to say that when he served as the Army chief of staff, he gathered the academy’s best graduates to take part in his program, including Agus, who was in fact one of the cadres he was preparing to take a top Army position.
"I regret [Agus' choice] because I have prepared him as a cadre but he has chosen to enter politics. It's hard, but it's his personal right [to retire] and there will be more [cadres] in the future," Gatot said on Friday.
He said Army chief of staff Gen. Mulyono received Agus' resignation letter on Friday morning and the Army would soon process his resignation.
Agus has been declared as a Jakarta gubernatorial candidate by a coalition of four parties: the Democratic Party, the National Mandate Party (PAN), the United Development Party (PPP) and the National Awakening Party (PKB). Jakarta deputy governor Sylviana Murni will be his running mate. (ebf)
