TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesian National Army Chief of Staff General Budiman ensured that the army would be neutral in the entire process of presidential elections. He said the army's neutrality has been proven since the legislative elections in April 2014.
"We are certainly neutral, including in community development level," said Budiman on Monday.
He rejected President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's (SBY) accusation that there is a senior official that support particular presidential candidate and said the principle of neutrality will still be upheld by the army. "We will not disgrace the army by not being neutral," he said.
According to Budiman, the army's non-neutrality will surely be found out in this age of advanced technology.
SBY accused an army official of leaning to one of the presidential candidates in the 2004 election and even making letters not to vote him. "I know about that, but I've already forgiven him. I hope it will not happen again in this presidential candidate," said SBY this morning.
The presidential election entered a new phase on Sunday with Prabowo-Hatta getting number one the ballot and Joko Widodo-Jusuf Kalla getting number two.
Both pairs will start campaigning from June 4 to July 5, before entering the three-day quiet period.
AMRI MAHBUB
