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Analysis: Politics weighs heavily on TNI chief nomination
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Rear Admiral Yudo Margono (left) and Air Marshal Fadjar Prasetyo (right) read the oath when inaugurated as Navy Chief of Staff (KSAL) and Air Force Chief of Staff (KSAU) at the State Palace, Jakarta, on Wednesday (05/20/2020). President Joko Widodo officially inaugurated Admiral Yudo Margono as KSAL and TNI Marshal Fadjar Prasetyo as KSAU. (Antara/Hafidz Mubarak A))
P
resident Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has proposed Navy chief of staff Admiral Yudo Margono as the new commander of the Indonesian Military (TNI). The House will conduct the formality of the fit-and-proper test next week and will almost surely endorse Yudo’s nomination. The president will then install Yudo as the successor to Army Gen. Andika Perkasa.
Just like that. No controversy. Just like it was this time last year, and most likely, again this time next year.
But that is just the problem. The appointment of the top TNI job has become something like a game of musical chairs. It is changing hands so frequently that no chief will have stayed long enough to make an impact, let alone create or leave a legacy. This is the case with Andika and almost certainly with Yudo if he gets the job.
This is because the president keeps nominating officers who are nearing their mandatory retirement age of 58. Andika reaches that age next month. Yudo will have to retire by Nov. 26 of next year. Although the president has the prerogative to extend the military service of top generals in key positions such as the TNI chief, Jokowi has refrained from using it.
In spite of talk about building a professional and credible force free from politics, the appointment of the TNI chief has rarely been free from the politics of the day. Although the House has to approve the nomination, the president has always sent one name, and the House has always given the green light after going through the formalities.
The 2004 TNI Law requires the commander to be picked from one of the existing chiefs of staff of the Army, Navy or Air Force. The law says the job may be rotated between the three chiefs. Since rotation is not mandatory, politics has weighed heavily on the president’s selection.
This was the case with the appointment of Andika last year, even knowing that he would hold the job for only one year. Historically, the top TNI job gives the holder promising career opportunities beyond the military. Andika’s predecessor, Air Force Marshall (ret.) Hadi Tjahjanto, is now agrarian and spatial planning minister. Andika harbors presidential ambitions, and his name has been mentioned as potential candidate for president or vice president in the 2024 or 2029 elections. Having the position of TNI chief on your resume certainly strengthens your credentials.
