He further said that the next TNI commander would not necessarily be an official from the Air Force, which based on the schedule of rotation, should take the military's top post.

"Yes, there is an unwritten agreement that three branches of the TNI, namely the Indonesian Army, Air Force and Navy, will take turns in taking the position of the military commander. However, it is not set in stone and the President has yet to decide," Tedjo said on the sidelines of the national cyber security symposium in Central Jakarta.

According to regulations, candidates for the top TNI post should be flag officers who have held the position of chief of staff in one of the TNI's three forces. Currently, the officers are Army chief of staff Gen. Gatot Nurmantyo, Navy chief of staff Adm. Ade Supandi and Air Force chief of staff Air Chief Marshal Agus Supriatna.

Since the end of the New Order era, the TNI chief position has been rotated in an Army-Navy-Army-Air Force pattern. If the pattern is adhered to, Agus Supriatna's would be next to assume the TNI chief post.

Based on the order, Agus is slated to replace Moeldoko. However, Tedjo said there was no guarantee of this.

"We have not talked about it and as far as I am concerned the President has not decided yet," he said. (ebf)(+++)

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