I could have grabbed power twice: Wiranto

By P. S. Suryanarayana

SINGAPORE, JAN. 22 Indonesia's Senior Minister for Politics and Security, Gen. Wiranto, who was the overall commander of the armed forces (TNI) until October last, has said he had restrained from staging a military coup when he could have easily grabbed power on two occasions in the last two years. Gen. Wiranto told journalists in Jakarta that he did not, however, wish to flaunt his restraint as the issue was sensitive.

Gen. Wiranto is the man at the centre of the ongoing debate in Indonesia over the probability of the military striking against the President, Mr. Abdurrahman Wahid. Gen. Wiranto is no longer in active service despite the military insignia that he continues to hold even after becoming the highest ranking Minister in Mr. Wahid's Cabinet. Yet, he is generally believed to wield significant influence among the TNI leaders. The present commander of the TNI, Adm. Widodo, was appointed to that post by Mr. Wahid in consultation with Gen. Wiranto.

Gen. Wiranto's comments came amid international concerns about the future governance of a country wanting to stabilise itself as the world's third largest democracy. He is reported to have said that he voluntarily let go at least two occasions when he could have, as the then TNI commander, opted for coup.

The first such occasion was the resignation by Gen. Suharto from the powerful constitutional post of President in May, 1998 in the face of a popular revolt against him. Gen. Wiranto pointed out that he had in fact overseen the transfer of power to the then Vice-President, Mr. B. J. Habibie.

The other instance when the Army could have grabbed power was in the face of intransigence by the students who had seized the Parliament complex in protest against Mr. Habibie's emergence as President in May, 1998.

Gen. Wiranto's comments, which he is reported to have made yesterday to sections of the Indonesian media, acquire meaning in the context of a flurry of statements by several military officials pledging loyalty to Mr. Wahid and the earlier warning by the U.S. against military intervention in Indonesia.

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Section  : International
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