Jakarta – Politicians from different political parties are supporting a move to allow Indonesian Military (TNI) personnel to exercise their voting rights in the 2009 legislative and presidential elections.

Taufik Kiemas, the chief patron of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), said there should be no reason to fear soldiers voting in the next elections.

The PDI-P was not worried that soldiers would be partial when voting because they had a high sense of patriotism, he said. Soldiers' historical right to vote should be restored, the husband of former president Megawati Soekarnoputri argued.

"We will work very hard so that they can recover their political rights," Taufik was quoted as saying Saturday by Antara newswire. "Which political party is not 'using' the military and police? Everyone is vying for (their support)."

Golkar Party politician Theo L. Sambuaga, who chairs House Commission I on defense and foreign affairs, said soldiers should be entitled to vote like other citizens. "The right to vote is not a practical political activity. Besides, the understanding of democracy has now increased among the people, including soldiers."

The chairman of the United Democratic Nationhood Party (PPDK), Ryaas Rasyid, said without the vote soldiers were relegated to second-class citizens. "They have small salaries, but their right to vote is denied," he said in Bandarlampung.

Ryaas said solders had their rights guaranteed under the Constitution. "They have to be allowed to channel their aspirations. Otherwise, some of them will disrupt (political) parties, which is more dangerous."

He said soldiers had lost their voting rights because high-ranking military officers were worried that lower ranking soldiers would be ordered to vote for political parties by their superiors.

However, former armed forces chief Gen. (ret.) Wiranto said the time was not yet right for soldiers to vote in 2009. Soldiers would be confused about which party to vote for and could end up obeying their superiors' commands, he said.

"It's because soldiers must obey their leaders. (Voting) would become a psychological barrier for them," he told a seminar Friday. He said the government should study the military and its internal politics before recommending soldiers regain their rights.

The last time the military was allowed to vote was during the 1955 general elections. From 1971 to 2004, members were banned from voting in elections but were represented in the House.