Bogor – Indonesia's President-elect Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said yesterday he would pick a non-military defence minister as part of efforts to rein in the powerful armed forces through civilian control.
Dr Yudhoyono, who takes office next week after a landslide election victory over incumbent Megawati Sukarnoputri, said he would start interviewing candidates today and ask them to sign an'accountability contract'.
The new defence minister would be a person who understands "the place of the military in national life, democracy and human rights", the former general told reporters at his house in Bogor, south of Jakarta.
"For that position I have chosen to appoint a civilian who understands defence issues, so that military reform can proceed well and defence policies can be developed in a good manner", he added.
Under former president Suharto, the military was allowed to grow into a potent political force, controlling various civilian positions and enjoying reserved seats in Parliament.
Since Mr Suharto's downfall in 1998, the armed forces have been under strong pressure to abandon politics and atone for human rights abuses. Their right to legislative seats was abolished this year.
The United States has tied any resumption of military cooperation with Indonesia to military reform, including calling to account the army-backed militia violence surrounding Timor Leste's independence vote in 1999. Military cooperation with the US was sharply reduced in 1999 by a congressional amendment during the Timor Leste turmoil, in which 1,400 people died.
Dr Yudhoyono said his Cabinet, which he is expected to announce at his inauguration next Wednesday, would consist of 34 members. They would be chosen on the basis of their "personal integrity, capability, experience and acceptability", he said.
He said he would revive the ministries of sports and housing, which were scrapped after Mr Suharto's resignation, and intended to split the trade and industry portfolio.
Dr Yudhoyono, who will be Indonesia's first democratically-elected leader, has made ambitious pledges to reform the country's sluggish economy and stamp out endemic corruption, which has scared away badly-needed foreign investment.
Meanwhile, in another development, the two camps in Indonesia's Parliament look set for a round of debate over the resignation of armed forces chief Endriartono Sutarto last week.
Outgoing President Megawati has told the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr Agung Laksono, in a letter about the resignation and her appointment of army chief General Ryamizard Ryacudu as the new armed forces chief.
Golkar, which leads the nationhood coalition that supported Ms Megawati in last month's presidential election, wants the House to discuss and approve Gen Endriartono's resignation and Gen Ryamizard's appointment as his replacement immediately.
But the opposing camp, the people's coalition that supports Dr Yudhoyono, says that discussions should be delayed until the inauguration of the new president.
The House is scheduled to convene a plenary session today to discuss the resignation issue.