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Voting rights for TNI personnel not yet in sight: Defense minister
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Indonesian Military (TNI) chief Gen. Gatot Nurmantyo leads the ceremony of the 71th TNI anniversary at the military headquarters in Cilangkap, East Jakarta, on Oct. 5 (Antara /M. Agung Rajasa)
D
efense Minister Ryamizard Ryacudu has rejected the request from the Indonesian Military (TNI) for its personnel to be granted voting rights for military personnel, saying it could lead to the country’s disintegration.
"I don't want the TNI to be involved in politics, especially as the [Indonesian] political condition is still not yet fully developed," Ryamizard told journalists on Monday in response to the request made by TNI commander Gen. Gatot Nurmantyo.
Allowing the TNI to vote in elections could also create disunity as military personnel who supported different political parties might create "factions" within the military itself, Ryamizard said
Under the current law, those who join the TNI automatically lose their political rights, including the rights to vote and participate as candidates in elections. Military personnel are required to resign when they run for public posts.
In response to Gatot’s assertion that such rights could be granted within a decade, but Ryamizard said such reforms were not yet in sight and would depend on the country's political condition in 10 years’ time.
In early October, Gatot said denying political rights to military personnel was treating them like foreign citizens. He expressed hope that the military would gain their rights to vote in elections within the next 10 years.
