Fajarasia.co – Indonesian Parliamentary Concerned Community Forum researcher (Formappi) Lucius Karus assesses that the appointment of active TNI/Polri as acting (Pj) regional heads must be stopped immediately. He said this in response to the appointment of Brigadier General Andi Chandra As’aduddin as Acting Regent of West Seram, Maluku Province.
“I think these are the initial stages. If this is not prevented immediately, what is going on is by providing an opportunity for active TNI/Polri to occupy civilian positions. I think this is a stage that the public feared in 1998 when then TNI/Polri The police are in civilian positions,” he said in an online discussion entitled Pros and Cons of Soldiers Being Acting Regional Heads, Saturday (28/5/2022).
Lucius emphasized that the government and the DPR must immediately ensure that civilian positions are not carried by active members of the TNI/Polri. He also revealed the potential dangers that arise if active members of the TNI/Polri are increasingly free to occupy civilian positions.
“I think it is important from the start to urge the government and the DPR to ensure that the rules relating to civilian positions cannot be carried out by the TNI/Polri,” he said.
Lucius said the appointment was not in accordance with the spirit and mandate of the Reformation. In addition, it is also against the rules. Lucius was worried that the appointment would only be the beginning of the appointment of the acting regional head that was not in accordance with the regulations. According to him, ahead of the 2024 contest, the smell of politics is getting warmer.
“We are also in the opening round of the 2024 General Election. So I think policies like this have something to do with the 2024 consolidation.
Previously, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Puan Maharani, asked the government to conduct a transparent and open selection process for public participation. Puan emphasized that the process should be free from political interests.
“Prepare adequate facilities if the community wants to provide input and carry out screening in a measurable manner and free from political interests,” said Puan.
Lucius assessed that the appointment should be stopped because there is no advantage in appointing an acting regional head from an active member of the TNI/Polri. In fact, it harms democracy in Indonesia.
“There is no need to defend it, because there is no benefit for the government and for strengthening our democracy,” he added.
Lucius also captured the negative impact of the appointment of active members of the TNI/Polri as acting regional heads.
“Autonomy will disappear in 2-3 years. The policies taken will become central government policies. Everything will be overlapping, the concepts of regional autonomy, democracy, and so on are no longer clear,” he said.
Meanwhile, Ray Rangkuti, the founder of Lingkar Madani, stated that the appointment of active members of the TNI violated Law No. 5 of 2015 article 20 paragraph 3 concerning civilian positions that may be carried out in central agencies.
There is also Law Number 34 of 2004 concerning the Indonesian National Army. The law prohibits the TNI from holding civilian positions, outside of 10 institutions. The institutions listed include the Coordinating Ministry for Political, Legal and Security Affairs, the Ministry of Defense, the National Crypto Agency, and the Supreme Court.
“At least 8 out of 10 given to sit in position still have to do with their function as defence. Active TNI involvement in civilian positions should not be far from their main function as institutions dealing with national defense,” said Ray.
The government also ignores Law NO. 34 of 2004, article 47 which explicitly states that all TNI soldiers who hold civilian positions must first be resigned from their active service in the TNI. And finally, the decision of the Constitutional Court (MK) Number 15/PUU-XX/2022 which was published on April 20, 2022 yesterday.
“This Act is used as part of strengthening power, not a democratization process. But strengthening the consolidation of the central government, in that way they place people who get quite strong resistance, because it does not contribute to improving the quality of democracy,” said Ray.****
