Markus Junianto Sihaloho – A group of legislators and political leaders on Wednesday warned of the dangers of allowing soldiers to vote in elections, saying it could lead to the bloc voting and violence that was common in the New Order era.

AM Fatwa, a Regional Representatives Council (DPD) member, said that before granting voting rights to the Indonesian Military (TNI) or the police, who also do not have the right to vote, the government must be able to vouch for their professionalism and neutrality. The military's strict chain of command, he said, could be exploited to support a particular party.

Arief Mudatsir Mandan, an official from the United Development Party (PPP), said the problem was that there was no concept of democracy in the military's chain of command. "They're combatants without the right to vote, while politics is part of civil society," he said.

Amien Rais, the advisory board chairman of the National Mandate Party (PAN) and former People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) speaker, said it was simply too dangerous to bring soldiers into politics.

"They have guns, a strong structural chain and many ways to solve problems," he said, an apparent reference to the threat that the military could use its power to force soldiers and civilians to vote a certain way.

The right of soldiers to vote was removed by the late former President Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid after the fall of President Suharto, to prevent rifts forming within the armed forces and to ensure the military did not wield the same influence as it did under the New Order regime.

The debate over the issue was ignited last week after Army Chief of Staff Gen. George Toisutta, said the armed forces should be granted the right to vote.

Supporters say the country's roughly 450,000 soldiers are also citizens entitled to suffrage, while others are worried about the implications of such a move.

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has reportedly called for an end to the debate, saying people should wait for the deliberation of the new elections bill.

Fatwa said that political parties could also take advantage of military voting rights. "We should ask political party members if they are confident enough to contest elections without trying to pull the military to vote for them," he said.

Democratic Party legislator Chotibul Umam Wiranu claimed some parties, such as the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), were supporting the idea in an effort to win votes from military families.

"It's part of their strategy to cozy up to the military," he said, citing a statement by PKS secretary general Anis Matta that the party would support the return of the right to vote for soldiers.