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Race heats up for next TNI chief as House expects Jokowi to soon nominate candidate
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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 (first left) at the Bogor Palace in West Java on June 14, 2020 (Courtesy of Presidential Press Bureau/Lukas)
S
peculation over the next Indonesian Military (TNI) chief to succeed Air Chief Marshal Hadi Tjahjanto, who will retire in November, has recently intensified, with lawmakers saying that they expect President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo to soon nominate his candidate of choice to the House of Representatives.
The 2004 TNI Law stipulates that its chief can be rotated among flag officers who hold or have held chief-of-staff positions within the three military services: the Army, the Air Force or the Navy. The 2004 law also mandates the President to seek the House’s approval before inaugurating the new TNI chief.
House Speaker Puan Maharani has emphasized that Jokowi has the “prerogative right” to nominate the next TNI chief.
“The House hopes that whoever is nominated by the President as the TNI commander is the best candidate for the TNI and for the people,” Puan, who is also an Indonesia Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) politician, said in a statement on Monday.
She went on to add that she expected Jokowi to send an official letter soon to the House nominating his TNI commander candidate, given that the House will enter into a recess period on Oct. 7.
Separately, House Deputy Speaker and Gerindra Party politician Sufmi Dasco Ahmad also said on Monday that the House had yet to receive the President’s nomination letter.
Analysts have predicted that the choice of Hadi’s successor will be a two-horse race between Army chief of staff Gen. Andika Perkasa and Navy chief of staff Adm. Yudo Margono. Air Force chief of staff Air Chief Marshal Fadjar Prasetyo, meanwhile, has an outside chance of earning Jokowi’s nomination because of a post-New Order tradition that rotates the highest TNI position among the armed services.
