Jokowi's Choice Is Right, General Andika Because He Cares About The Issue Of Kowad's Virginity Test

KSAD General Andika Perkasa/Antara

JAKARTA - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) has chosen the Army Chief of Staff (KSAD) General Andika Perkasa as the candidate for TNI Commander to replace Marshal Hadi Tjahjanto, who is entering retirement.

This has been conveyed through a Presidential Letter (Surpres) which was sent to the leadership of the DPR this afternoon, Wednesday, November 3.

Military and intelligence observer Susaningtyas Kertopati assessed that Jokowi's move to choose General TNI Andika Perkasa, TNI Commander, was the right one. According to him, Andika is an intelligent officer who has international authority and understands the TNI, not only its dimensions.

"He also pays attention to humanistic social cases such as the virginity test of the Women's Army Corps (Kowad), the fate of retired soldiers and also has complete intelligence capabilities," said Susaningtyas, Wednesday, November 3. According to the woman who is familiarly called Nuning, succession within the TNI has always been a warm discourse considering that TNI as one of the important components of the state plays an important role in the dynamics of the Indonesian nation.

Based on Article 13 paragraph 4 of the TNI Law Number 34 of 2004, Nuning continued, it is indeed mandated that the position of the TNI Commander can be held by an active High Officer (Pati) who is currently or has served as the Chief of Staff of the Forces. This means that KSAD, KSAL and KSAU have the same opportunity to serve as TNI Commander. "Although they have to take turns, in reality the president will determine who will take office. The president's prerogative can't be intervened by anyone," said the former member of Commission I of the DPR RI. First, consider the needs of the TNI organization in the future as part of the modernization of the Alutsista so that reliable combat management and military diplomacy are needed. Second, consider the development of the strategic environment at the global and regional levels. “We need the figure of a TNI Commander who has a deterrent effect for international military officials. It is very important that the TNI Commander is respected internationally," he said. Moreover, Nuning continued, the world is currently facing the COVID-19 outbreak, which is a non-military threat. According to him, non-military threats are different from military threats and non-military threats. All three, now known as hybrid threats and have changed the perspective of threats in the future.

“Biological weapons and anti-biological weapons state defense are sciences that must be mastered by the TNI. In the future the threat of Nubika (Nuclear, Biological, Chemical) must be included in our vigilance. TNI soldiers are now required to have conventional combat capabilities and contemporary combat capabilities," he said.

Nuning added that the demand for future capabilities must be on the agenda of the new TNI leadership. The background of operational assignments must also be complemented by educational experience. "Actually, the TNI Commander is very good if he has a high intellectual level.