Former Indonesian President Megawati Sukarnoputri criticized the military’s plans to establish regional commands, questioning whether the country is prepared for war.
Megawati, the leader of the Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), which includes President Joko Widodo, questioned the logic behind the idea revealed by Defence Minister Prabowo Subianto, who defined it as a critical security policy.
“They say there will only be one command in each region.” “Cut it off,” Megawati said during an event hosted by a government-run think institution founded by her father, Indonesia’s first president Sukarno.
“First and foremost, we are not at war with anyone. Second, will we go to war?”
General Dudung Abdurachman, the leader of the army, is attempting to establish one military command in each province, after Prabowo stated that the increase was necessary to assist the force cooperate closely with local administrations.
However, Megawati believes the military should focus on conflict avoidance rather than organizational reorganization to serve personal goals.
“Each branch [of the military] must be really good. “They should not pursue their own agendas or enrich themselves,” she stated.