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Jokowi to name new Army chief with Luhut’s in-law the leading contender
Speculation has been rife that Let. Gen. Maruli Simanjuntak, who currently leads the Army Strategic Reserves Command (Kostrad), is a frontrunner for the Army’s top post, ahead of the other two rumored contenders, National Disaster Mitigation Agency head Let. Gen Suharyanto and the Army chief of staff’s expert staff coordinator Let. Gen. I Nyoman Cantiasa.
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Indonesian Military (TNI) commander Gen. Agus Subiyanto (left) greets Army Strategic Reserves Command (Kostrad) commander Let. Gen. Maruli Simanjuntak (right) after the former's inauguration as the armed forces chief at the State Palace in Jakarta on Nov. 22, 2023. (Antara/Hafidz Mubarak A)
P
resident Joko “Jokowi” Widodo will announce his choice for the next head of the Army in the coming week, following former Army chief of staff Gen. Agus Subiyanto’s promotion to the Indonesian Military’s (TNI) top post. Among the candidates is expected to be another one of the President’s loyalists.
Jokowi inaugurated Agus as the TNI commander on Wednesday, replacing Adm. Yudo Margono who will enter retirement by the end of this month. Agus’ inauguration left the Army’s top post vacant.
“Next week, we’ll decide [on the new Army chief of staff],” the President said on Saturday, after attending the celebration of National Teachers’ Day in Jakarta.
Speculation has been rife that Let. Gen. Maruli Simanjuntak, who currently leads the Army Strategic Reserves Command (Kostrad), is a frontrunner for the Army’s top post, ahead of the other two rumored contenders, National Disaster Mitigation Agency head Let. Gen Suharyanto and the Army chief of staff’s expert staff coordinator Let. Gen. I Nyoman Cantiasa.
The three names were mentioned by Meutya Hafid of the Golkar Party, chair of House of Representatives Commission I overseeing defense, according to a statement on Thursday.
Maruli, 53, once served as commander of the Presidential Security Detail (Paspampres) during Jokowi’s first term. He also led the Warastratama Military Command (Korem), which covers cities and regencies around Surakarta, Jokowi’s hometown.
The three-star general is also the son-in-law of Coordinating Maritime Affairs and Investment Minister Luhut Pandjaitan, Jokowi’s long-time ally, who has been dubbed “super minister” for his key role in shaping and implementing Jokowi’s policies.
