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Mr. President, go Navy
There is one compelling reason why the job should go to the Navy: It bodes well for Jokowi’s vision — set out at the start of his presidency in 2014 — of building Indonesia as a maritime power.
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President Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo (second right) jogs with Army Chief of Staff Gen. Andika Perkasa (first right), Navy Chief of Staff Adm. Yudo Margono (second left), and Air Force Chief of Staff Air Chief Marshal Fadjar Prasetyo at the Bogor Palace in West Java on Sunday. (Courtesy of Presidential Press Bureau/Lukas)
I
f the choice for the next chief of the Indonesian Military (TNI) boils down to Army Chief of Staff Gen. Andika Perkasa or Navy Chief of Staff Admiral Yudo Margono, President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo should opt for the latter for more than one reason.
Andika will reach the mandatory retirement age of 58 years at the end of 2022, so choosing him means that Jokowi will have to deal with the same issue of finding a replacement this time next year. Yudo is due to retire at the end of 2023, so choosing him will allow him to serve at least two years to make his mark — more than Andika could.
Appointing Yudo would restore a tradition that dates back to 1999 of rotating the top TNI job between the three services.
The 2004 TNI Law says the job “may be held” by officers from any of the three services, so a rotation is not mandatory. Then-president Abdurrahman Wahid began the tradition in 1999, appointing a Navy officer for a job that had always been the domain of the Army, the largest and politically most powerful of the three services.
Successive presidents since then followed this tradition, giving the Army a shot at the job after the Navy and Air Force have had their turn. Jokowi broke the tradition in 2015 when he appointed he appointed an Army man to succeed another Army officer
President Jokowi has the prerogative to make the final choice with the House of Representatives giving its approval, but rotating between the three services is good and healthy for the development of the TNI. Giving the job to Yudo would restore this unwritten tradition.
There is one compelling reason why the job should go to the Navy: It bodes well for Jokowi’s vision – set out at the start of his presidency in 2014 — of building Indonesia as a maritime power, one that protects its vast sea territory and one that lives up to Indonesia’s constitutional mandate to play a role in maintaining international peace and stability. As an archipelagic nation, Indonesia controls four important international sea routes.
Although the rotation should not impact our defense policy, Yudo as TNI chief could help Jokowi in reprioritizing our defense policy and spending toward strengthening our Navy forces. The Nanggala-402 submarine tragedy in April is a reminder of how badly Indonesia needs to upgrade its military hardware, particularly in safeguarding our seas.
Jokowi can spring a surprise and choose an officer outside the two main contenders, going for a younger officer to serve until the end of his term 2024. He pulled this stunt in appointing Tito Karnavian in 2016 and Listyo Sigit Prabowo in January as chief of the National Police, bypassing many of their seniors.
If Jokowi goes this way in appointing the next TNI chief, he will have more choices from among three-star ranking generals in the three services and promoting the rank, for example, as deputy TNI chief upon the appointment as TNI commander. For all intents and purposes, a Navy officer would still be the best candidate to support his vision of Indonesia as a maritime nation.
