RI reveals transparency in defense spending
The Jakarta Post , Denpasar | Tue, 02/23/2010 10:36 AM | Headlines
Representatives from Asian countries learned Monday that one crucial part of Indonesia ’s reform efforts included knowing the shopping list of their military.
“Now we have a blueprint” on the military budget, said security expert Andi Widjojanto. “Before, no one knew what the Indonesian Military planned to buy with its funds provided from the national budget”.
The current shopping list is based on a 2008 document of the Defense Ministry, titled “The National Defense Force Structure”, a long term modernization program for the next 30 years for the army, air force and navy.
Former defense minister Juwono Sudarsono had said that cleaning up the procurement of military weaponry and equipment would be his priority, but the document was only issued nearing the end of his term.
Andi was among speakers addressing the four-day workshop on Indonesian and Asian experiences in transition, held by the Denpasar-based Institute for Peace and Democracy and the Foreign Ministry.
Representatives from Afghanistan , Nepal , Bangladesh , the Philippines , Myanmar and Timor Leste are attending the function held in Denpasar.
Lt. Gen. (ret) Agus Widjojo told The Jakarta Post that further improvements would need
assurance that a blueprint for the country’s defense structure was determined by civilian politicians’ decisions.
The former chief of staff of the military’s territorial affairs said “sectoral egoism” among the army, air force and navy would still pave the way for various offers for military procurement, worsened by the “weak capacity” in drawing up a long-term plan for armory and equipment.
Participants also heard of Indonesia ’s experience in changing its constitution, which a
consultant to the four constitutional amendments said was “remarkably credible”.
Andrew Ellis, Asia Pacific director of the International IDEA (Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance), and constitutional law expert Satya Arinanto said the results would never be perfect, but that the inclusion of as many interests as possible was crucial.
Delegates of Afghanistan, whose leaders were recently in London for reconciliation talks among their warring parties, asked of the possibility of women leaders, financially independent civil society groups and also asked whether it was “normal” to have some degree of authoritarianism to lead the way to democracy.
Researcher Nasir Tamara cited examples of Indonesia ’s largest Muslim organizations, Muhammadiyah and Nahdlatul Ulama.
On allowing the return of authoritarian rule, Ellis said such efforts would likely see it
“entrenched” rather than having temporary authoritarian rule.
