Mily Chief Affirms Neutrality in 2014 Elections

Magelang, C Java (Antara) - National Defense Forces (TNI) chief Admiral Agus Suhartono asked soldiers on Friday to remain neutral in the 2014 general elections. "I call on them to maintain the TNI's neutrality in the sense that they won't go everywhere. Neutral can mean they can go everywhere," he said here on Friday. To maintain the neutrality, no units within the TNI organization are allowed to put up political party attributes and flags, much less to take part in campaigns, he said. Likewise, he asked political parties not to engage TNI members in their political activities. "It will make no sense if TNI members who have decided to stay away from politics are later persuaded to get involved in political parties," he said. But he added that no TNI members have resigned to engage in politics. "None of them has resigned so far. Most of them are engaged in politics after they have been retired," he said. Asked if he would engage in politics after he was retired, he said he had no plan to do so. "I will enter retirement on August 6. After that I want to take rest first," he said. (*)