Markus Junianto Sihaloho – The Defense Ministry and the military are committed to eliminating corruption and nepotism, and current management practices are 90 percent better than past methods, said Defense Minister Juwono Sudarsono on Thursday.

The minister made the statement in response to a book written by Lt. Gen. Sintong Panjaitan, a former commander of the Army's Special Forces, which argued that Indonesia and the military were damaged by corruption and nepotism during former President Suharto's New Order era.

In his book "Perjalanan Seorang Prajurit Para Komando," (The Journey of an Army Commander) Sintong said he witnessed how the military's structure was compromised by nepotistic practices involving several officers close to Suharto's family.

Speaking to journalists at his office in Jakarta, Juwono admitted that corruption and nepotism were significant problems in both Indonesia and the country's military during the Suharto era, which ended in May 1998. Nepotism and corruption were mainly the result of Suharto's centralized power system, which lacked transparency and accountability.

But Juwono said that since the social unrest of 1998 that led to Suharto's downfall after more than three decades in power, all of the country's stakeholders – including the military – had ushered in a democratic system and established a more transparent and accountable bureaucracy.

The Defense Ministry and the military, he said, have designed a new military procurement system called billing center management, which effectively prevents soldiers from using personal connections to further their interests.

"There might be a small number of soldiers who still violate our regulations, but we are definitely now 90 percent better than we were before," Juwono said.

Most military leaders are now aware of the important role that professionalism plays in establishing a better future for Indonesia, Juwono said.

"That's why we really expect the government and the House of Representatives to soon endorse a new antigraft law," he said.

Sintong also urged politicians Wiranto and Prabowo Subianto – both set to run for president in the July election – to accept responsibility for the social unrest of 1998.

"As [former military] leaders, they should be held responsible. If they don't, they are not real leaders," Antara news agency quoted Sintong as saying.