Novan Iman Santosa, Jakarta – The debate continues on whether the newly created deputy defense ministerial post can be held by an active military officer or should be filled by a civilian bureaucrat.

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on Wednesday installed Lt. Gen. Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin as deputy defense minister. Sjafrie is still the ministry's secretary general until a new official is appointed.

Anak Agung Banyu Perwita, a defense expert from Parahyangan Catholic University in Bandung, told The Jakarta Post on Friday the deputy defense minister should be a civilian as stipulated in regulations.

An article from the 2008 State Ministry Law states that a deputy minister can be appointed by the President if there were duties needing special handling.

The stipulation is repeated by an article in the 2009 Presidential regulation on the establishment of state ministry organization.

Another article in the regulation says a deputy minister is a career official – not a Cabinet member – and a I.a-ranked civil servant.

"Ideally the deputy defense minister should be a civilian to uphold civilian supremacy over the military," Banyu said in a telephone interview. "This would adhere to democratic and security sector reform principles."

However, Banyu admitted civilian bureaucrats at the Defense Ministry were not up to the task.

"This is the right moment to conduct bureaucratic reform at the ministry to empower its civilian officials to hold more strategic posts.

"The challenge for the defense minister and state bureaucratic reform minister is to initiate reforms in the Defense Ministry," Banyu said.

"Ideally, in five to 10 years, 70 percent of the officials in the ministry should be civilians. Military officers are still needed to set defense strategy and procure weapons systems."

Countering this view, Jaleswari Pramodhawardani from the Indonesian Institute of Science said whether the deputy defense minister was a military officer or civilian was not a problem as long as the person was capable of performing their duties.

"We shouldn't draw distinctions between civilian and military," she told the Post over the phone, adding that the defense minister should be a civilian.

Jaleswari said the more pressing issue was the fact that Sjafrie was due to retire in October. "Regulations state that those who are nearing retirement cannot be promoted," she said.

Both Banyu and Jaleswari agree that Sjafrie was qualified for the post and that civilian officials at the ministry should be encouraged and given more opportunities to lead strategic posts.

"The appointment of a military officer shows the lack of depth of capable civilian bureaucrats in the ministry," Banyu said.

"The ministry should be more selective in recruiting civilian employees, and look to those with a background in defense studies," Jaleswari said. "Or we could also improve the quality of the current civilian officials."

The Society for Democracy Education (P2D) said by appointing Sjafrie as deputy defense minister, Yudhoyono violated the 2004 Indonesian Military Law prohibiting active soldiers from running for legislative posts and other political offices.

"The deputy defense minister post is a political appointment," P2D secretary general Robertus Robert said Thursday.

"Additionally, a 2000 People's Consultative Assembly Decree stipulates that military personnel can only assume civilian post after resigning or retiring from active military duty."