Jokowi inaugurates Dudung Abdurachman as Army Chief of Staff

Jakarta (ANTARA) - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) inaugurated Lieutenant General Dudung Abdurachman as the new Army Chief of Staff (Kasad) at the State Palace, here on Wednesday.

Abdurachman replaced General Andika Perkasa, who had been installed as the new National Defense Forces (TNI) commander.

The inauguration is based on Presidential Decree Number 107/TNI of 2021 on the Discharge and Appointment of the Army Chief of Staff.

After Military Secretary Rear Marshal Tonny Harjono read out the Presidential Decree at the inauguration ceremony, Jokowi then took the oath of Dudung Abdurachman as the new Army Chief of Staff.

"By God, I swear that I will be loyal to the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia based on Pancasila and the 1945 Constitution of the Republic of Indonesia and will carry out all laws and regulations as good as possible for the sake of my service to the nation and the state," Abdurachman stated during his oath.

Abdurachman later continued his promise to always fulfill his duties and remain committed to fulfilling his responsibilities.

"In fulfilling my duties, I will uphold the ethics of my position, work to the best of my ability and with a full sense of responsibility. That I will uphold the soldier's oath," he added.

TNI Commander General Andika Perkasa and National Police Chief General Listyo Sigit Prabowo became the witnesses of the inauguration.

Jokowi also issued Presidential Decree Number 108/TNI of 2021 on Ranks Promotion among the TNI's high-ranking officers that raised Abdurachman's rank one level higher, from lieutenant general to general.

Also present at Abdurachman's inauguration were Vice President Ma'ruf Amin, the 5th president of the Republic of Indonesia Megawati Soekarnoputri, House Speaker Puan Maharani, cabinet ministers, Head of the State Intelligence Agency (BIN) Budi Gunawan, Navy Chief of Staff Admiral Yudo Margono, Air Force Chief of Staff Marshal Fadjar Prasetyo, and other officials.

Abdurachman, who graduated from the 1988 Military Academy from the infantry branch, earlier served as Commander of the Army's Strategic and Reserve Command (Pangkostrad) after holding the posts of Jayakarta Regional Military Commander (Pangdam Jaya) in 2020-2021 and Governor of the Military Academy in 2018-2020.

He became popularly known in public when he erected the Soekarno Statue at the Military Academy in Magelang, Central Java.

Inauguration of the statue was attended by Soekarnoputri, Minister of Defense Prabowo Subianto, and Maharani.

While serving as Pangdam Jaya, Abdurachman was known for his suggestion to disband the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) if the organization continued to violate legal provisions.

He also mobilized Jayakarta Regional Military Command's (Pangdam Jaya's) soldiers to remove the unauthorized Habib Rizieq Shihab's billboard. (*)