TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - As Indonesia approaches the general election, its politics resemble that of the United States two centuries ago. Presidential candidates are vying for support from retired military officers. Prior to each election, forums of former military or police officers declare their support for specific candidates.
This election is no exception, with retired officers proudly displaying their endorsements. All candidates include retired generals from the military and police in their campaign teams, although their roles are not always clear. Perhaps these candidates hope to gain influence, given that these generals held significant positions when they were in active service. However, in direct elections, voters’ preferences are primarily determined by the presidential candidate, not their supporters, campaign teams, or even the endorsing parties.
Many surveys indicate signs of split-ticket voting: voters from a particular party may not necessarily vote for the presidential candidate of that party. Therefore, the presence of retired generals might be utilized for their networks, particularly in regions where patronage politics still hold sway.
However, there is a fundamental problem: the military does not have voting rights, and their families do not number more than a million people. In the 2014 election, retired generals were overtly sought after by various candidates. There were even reports of non-commissioned village supervisory officers (Babinsa) directing voters to cast their ballots for specific candidates.
Once again, if Babinsa are used as tools for mobilizing votes, it would violate regulations. Any Indonesian Military (TNI) Commander would declare neutrality before the election because that is what is expected of a state institution. Moreover, the results of the 2014 election showed that deploying Babinsa was not an effective strategy for collecting votes. The Joko Widodo-Jusuf Kalla ticket prevailed over Prabowo Subianto-Hatta Rajasa, who were caught mobilizing Babinsa to influence voters in several provinces.
Perhaps only Prabowo Subianto will benefit the support from retired generals. In the 2024 election, he is showcasing the support of generals who once investigated him in the 1998 pro-democracy activists kidnapping case. Prabowo has consistently faced allegations related to human rights violations. By featuring support from the generals who once investigated and recommended his dismissal from the TNI, he will give the impression that his past is no longer a problem.
Regardless, deploying retired generals for the purpose of power-sharing is dangerous. Two terms of Jokowi’s administration have shown that the military and police have gained privileges in public positions that have nothing to do with defense and security. This practice has led to public positions being filled based on connections rather than competence.
In the United States two centuries ago, rolling out the red carpet for Civil War veterans tilted politics and public policy in favor of the generals. The political arena was not dominated by civilians, a precondition for a healthy democracy.
Happy reading. In this edition, we also offer many interesting articles, including the operation to hunt down drug lord Fredy Pratama, updates on the Rempang Island project, and the privileges granted to Elon Musk for investing in Internet satellite signal in Indonesia.
Bagja Hidayat
Executive editor
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