GENERAL MOELDOKO:
There should be no loyalty towards ex-commanders

TNI (Indonesian Military) Commander in Chief General Moeldoko must now face charges that the armed forces he leads have not been neutral in the campaigning of the upcoming presidential elections. From the lowest private to the top generals, they are accused of supporting either one of the candidates.

In the wake of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's 'reprimand' that there were attempts to lure senior TNI officers into being involved in politics, yet another issue has emerged: NCOs tasked with village security have been directing locals to vote for a particular candidate. There have been reports of NCOs campaigning in various areas for people to vote for 'the firm candidate', in reference to Prabowo Subianto, the retired Special Forces general.

June 17, 2014