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Activists critical of Andika’s nomination as TNI chief
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The army chief Gen. Andika Perkasa announced the abolishment of the 'virginity test' imposed on female armed forces candidates on Aug. 10, 2021. President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has sent a letter to the House of Representatives nominating Andika to replace TNI commander Air Chief Marshal Hadi Tjahjanto, who will retire by the end of this month. (Kompas.com/Courtesy of Dispenad)
C
ivil society organizations have raised concerns about the nomination of Army chief of staff Gen. Andika Perkasa as the sole candidate for the Indonesian Military (TNI) commander, calling it a setback in the efforts to reform the nation’s armed forces.
President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has sent a letter to the House of Representatives tapping Andika to replace Air Chief Marshal Hadi Tjahjanto, who will retire by the end of this month.
Andika will go through a confirmation hearing with House Commission I overseeing defense before he can be inaugurated as the new TNI chief. The confirmation hearing is expected to take place on Friday, according to House deputy speaker Sufmi Ahmad Dasco. “We plan to conduct the selection interview tomorrow. We'll see. Hopefully it will go smoothly," Dasco said on Thursday, as quoted by Kompas.com.
Read also: Jokowi taps Andika as sole candidate for TNI commander
A coalition of nongovernmental organizations that include human rights groups Imparsial, the Jakarta Legal Aid Institute (LBH Jakarta) and the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (KontraS) have criticized Andika’s “problematic” nomination.
The nomination means that Jokowi ignored the rotational policy between officers of the Army and those of the Navy and Air Force, usually employed for choosing the nation’s top military commander, the coalition said in a statement released on Thursday.
“The rotation policy for TNI commanders, which started at the beginning of the Reform Era, needs to be maintained. Moreover, it is also mandated in the TNI Law,” it said. “[Jokowi’s] neglect of this rotation raises questions as to whether the President is prioritizing political factors, such as his close relations [with certain individuals], as opposed to more professional and substantive reasons.”
