Army Chief Of Staff Asks Retired TNI Not To Affect Soldiers To Support Candidates For The 2024 General Election

Army Chief of Staff (KSAD) General Dudung Abdurachman (doc Dispenad).

JAKARTA - Army Chief of Staff (KSAD) General Dudung Abdurachman reminded soldiers not to try to side with presidential-cawapres and legislative candidates ahead of the 2024 General Election.

Dudung emphasized that the TNI, including the TNI AD, must remain neutral, which means that it does not side and does not support anyone running for the 2024 General Election and 2024 Regional Head Election.

"What is clear is that I have conveyed to all ranks, preparations for the 2024 General Election, to the Kodam, Kodim, Koramil, that they adhere to neutrality. Do not let anyone try to side with one of the candidates," said Dudung at the TNI AD Headquarters, Jakarta, Tuesday 5 September, confiscated by Antara.

He emphasized that TNI AD soldiers must be upright in the direction of the TNI Commander Admiral Yudo Margono and President Joko Widodo regarding TNI soldiers and ASN must be neutral in the election.

"I am upright, my loyalty to the TNI commander, to the president, yes, we must be neutral," said Dudung.

On the same occasion, Dudung also asked the retired TNI not to influence his juniors who are still active as soldiers in supporting one of the candidates.

"I see that there are retired support-supporters, please, it (they) personally; but don't try to disturb active soldiers so that it affects them in supporting one of the candidates," he said.

Related to this, Dudung once asked retired people not to use unit attributes, either in the form of badges, locations, or berets, when carrying out political activities, because it has the potential to get a wrong understanding from the public.

The use of TNI attributes for soldiers who have been honorably dismissed, namely resigning or retired, is regulated in the Telegram Letter of the TNI Commander Number: 1681/2018 and the Kasad Telegram Letter Number: 33/2019 concerning the Use of Political Rights. Dudung said that TNI neutrality is a fixed price that cannot be negotiated. The TNI AD is committed not to be involved in practical politics, both institutionally, personally, and in the use of TNI AD facilities and infrastructure.