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Jokowi nominates loyalist for TNI chief
With the nomination, less than a year before the President steps down, analysts say Jokowi is attempting to reinforce his influence over state institutions, raising concerns about their neutrality during the upcoming elections.
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President Joko “Jokowi“ Widodo (right) congratulates Gen. Agus Subiyanto after his inauguration as Army chief of staff at the State Palace on Oct. 25, 2023. Agus replaced Gen. Dudung Abdurachman in the position. (Antara/Hafidz Mubarak A)
P
resident Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has nominated his longtime ally and recently appointed Army chief of staff Gen. Agus Subiyanto to succeed the retiring Adm. Yudo Margono as commander of the Indonesian Military (TNI).
With the nomination, less than a year before the President steps down, analysts say Jokowi is attempting to reinforce his influence over state institutions, raising concerns about their neutrality during the upcoming elections.
At a press briefing on Tuesday, House of Representatives Speaker Puan Maharani said she had received a letter from the President seeking the House’s approval for 56-year-old Agus to serve as the TNI’s next commander. He is expected to replace Yudo, who will retire by the end of the month at the age 59.
“The candidate proposed by the President is Gen. Agus Subiyanto, who currently serves as the Army chief of staff,” Puan said. “The House will follow up on the proposal in accordance with the existing mechanism within 20 days.”
The House would soon start the process of assessing Agus, Puan added, including administrative and factual verification and a confirmation hearing, before lawmakers decided whether to approve him for the position.
Read also: Jokowi claims neutrality at 2024 race luncheon
Jokowi and Agus’ professional relationship goes back to their time in Surakarta, Central Java, where the general served as the military district commander from 2009 to 2011, overlapping with Jokowi’s tenure as the city’s mayor. The two then worked together in Surakarta’s regional leadership forum (forkopimda).
