Asia Times: Wahid denies any problem with the military



	February 16, 2000	atimes.com

Southeast Asia

Wahid denies any problem with the military

JAKARTA - Indonesia's President Abdurrahman Wahid says he has no problem with the country's army generals.

''There have been many media reports suggesting I was embroiled in a row with the generals, with the army. It's not true, there is nothing of that sort going on. My meeting with Vice-President Megawati Sukarnoputri and Wiranto yesterday [Sunday] proceeded in the usual way,'' he said in a speech at a National Awakening Party gathering.

He said his decision to suspend General Wiranto from his cabinet post was also nothing extraordinary. Wahid on Sunday night suspended General Wiranto from his post as Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs and named Surjadi Sudirja, the Home Affairs Minister, as Wiranto's interim replacement.

''If you don't believe me that there is no row between the president and the generals, ask TNI [National Defence Forces] Commander Admiral Widodo,'' the president said, pointing at Widodo who was also present at the gathering. ''Pak Widodo knows it. He knows the TNI's ethics well. All will be well when there is mutual understanding,'' Wahid said.

Wahid asked people not to be duped by news reports made by those who did not understand the real problems. ''The principle is we have to create a clean and democratic government. TNI knows this well,'' he said.

Separately, military spokesman Air Vice-Marshall Graito Usodo said the entire TNI would remain loyal to the national leadership and support President Abdurrahman Wahid's decision to suspend Wiranto.

Usodo, quoting Admiral Widodo, said TNI believed that the president had taken the decision in the interest of the state. He also said he believed that Wiranto would accept the president's decision in a sportsmanlike and sincere way.

(Asia Pulse/ANTARA)

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