A lesson for SPDC

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Local & Politics 

I'sian military not against woman president


JAKARTA -- The Indonesian military said it does not discriminate against women
for the top executive seat in the country, widening the chances for opposition
leader Megawati Sukarnoputri to become the next president. 
''The TNI [armed forces] will develop control and maintain a similar distance
from all political parties, and indeed, it will honour what the people
elect,''
said Maj-Gen Agus Widjaja, the commander of the military staff college, at a
Jakarta seminar yesterday. 
He said that the result of the election last week should be respected, adding
that it shows what most of the people in Indonesia wish for. ''The position of
the TNI is clear, we have to support the election and listen to what the
people
say.'' 
Widjaja is among a few high-ranking officers who have recently shown support
for the idea that a woman could also become the national leader of Indonesia.
Several Muslim groups have opposed the idea, saying that the Koran clearly
asks
Muslims to have a male imam or leader. 
The TNI is the new abbreviation of the Indonesian armed forces. It literally
means the Indonesian National Soldiers. 
Earlier this week TNI Commander Gen Wiranto also corrected his reference to
the
presidential criteria, from the best putra (child or son) to the best anak
(child). 
His political adviser Lt-Gen Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, who is widely tipped to
be Wiranto's successor, reiterated on Wednesday that the next president would
be the nation's best putra -- ''either a man or a woman.'' 
Military spokesman Brig-Gen Sudradjat separately told Reuters that the
military
would use its political weight to push democracy and protect the country's
unity. 
''We do not discriminate between men and women in terms of our leader, as long
as the people agree to elect her and as long as the election is democratic,
transparent, free and fair,'' he said. 
Controversy has arisen over the gender of the next top executive, which
Megawati's Indonesian Democratic Party for Struggle claims is a manoeuvre to
bar Megawati, the daughter of Indonesia's founding president Sukarno, from the
presidential race. 
The Muslim-based United Development Party (PPP) recommended on Tuesday that
only a male Muslim candidate is eligible for the presidency. Other Muslim
groups said that PDI-Struggle, the front-runner in the election, had

disproportionately non-Muslim legislative candidates. 
As of yesterday afternoon, according to the General Elections Commission,
Megawati's party was still leading with 18.4 million votes, followed by the
Nation Awakening Party with 9.3 million, the ruling party Golkar with 8.4
million and the PPP with 4.7 million. The counting is expected to be finalised
on Monday. 
Indonesia's next president will be elected later this year by the 700-member
People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) which includes 500 legislators plus 135
provincial representatives and 65 from non-government bodies and civil society
groups. But the military has 38 gratis seats in the 500-strong parliament. 
It is being widely debated here on who the military will vote if the Muslim
and
nationalist parties end up in a deadlock over a presidential candidate. The
Muslim-based parties are nominating President BJ Habibie. 
Megawati is no stranger to the military. One of her trusted lieutenants is a
retired army general who has widespread influence over the active officers.
She
is also on good terms with many other retired generals who are executives of a
secular political party. 
BY ANDREAS HARSONO 
The Nation