Jakarta – Boosting professionalism and strengthening the rules keeping the military out of politics were among the priorities highlighted at a handover ceremony where Gen. Djoko Santoso moved to the helm of Indonesian Military (TNI).

"In general, all I need to do as TNI chief is see through the agenda items in the 2005-2009 TNI Strategic Plans and the 2005-2014 TNI Posture Development Plan," Santoso said after the ceremony at TNI headquarters in Cilangkap, East Jakarta, on Tuesday. "Thus, it (my program) won't clash with what has been done by my predecessor, Marshall Djoko Suyanto."

Santoso said he would also improve TNI's alertness by strengthening weaponry systems and human resources; carrying out routine joint military trainings involving the Army, Navy and Air Force; and continuing and evaluating internal TNI reform that has already been going on for some 10 years.

"As TNI chief, I am nothing more than just a small part of the big system. My responsibility is to make sure that all items established within the TNI Strategic Plan and the TNI Posture Development Plan can be done well and are in line with the 1945 Constitution and regulations."

Meanwhile, Defense Minister Juwono Sudarsono said efforts to reform TNI, especially to enhance professionalism and discontinue political involvement, should also be accompanied by reform in the civil society.

"Now, it is the time for Indonesian civil society and all of its components, especially political parties, to prove that they are ready to take over TNI's political domination," he said at the sidelines of the ceremony.

"It depends on the ability of today's civilians to show good leadership, including a strong nationalism view, the one that has always been upheld by the military."

Juwono also called on the public to raise the need to reform political parties watching closely TNI's reform agenda.

"In order to be ready to take over the military domination, the parties need to have a strong program for continually rejuvenating members and good management as well. Indonesian political parties' systems are still weak."

Commenting on the replacement of the TNI chief, Juwono said that people should no longer worry about Army domination within TNI. "Today it will not be a big problem for TNI to have a chief from forces other than the Army," he said.

"During the 32 years of New Order regime, the Army's domination of TNI was very obvious. However, people should not forget that today the Army is taking the lead in effort to reform TNI. It began in Sept. 1997, six months before then-president Soeharto resigned, when a number of high ranking TNI officers, led by Gen. Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, started the formulation of a new TNI paradigm."

House of Representatives Speaker Agung Laksono said TNI needed to improve professionalism in order to be able to compete with neighboring countries' militaries.