"The nomination of candidates for the Army chief of staff has gone through a process at the high ranks and posts council," he said here on Friday.
In nominating candidates for Army chief of staff, he said the council considered many factors, including professionalism, seniority, service and experience during their assignment in the Army.
Therefore, he called on the public not to relate one of the nominees for the Army chief of staff to his family relations with President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.
"Don`t look at the nomination of candidate for the Army chief of staff from his family relations with the President," he said.
It was the President`s prerogative to appoint Army chief of staff while the TNI chief must give suggestions and inputs to the President on the nominees, he said.
"The number of nominees has been shortlisted to three. Hopefully, the high ranks and posts council will issue a decision in the next few weeks," he said.
Gen Toisutta who reached the age of 58 years on June 1, 2011 is due to enter retirement on July 1, 2011.
TNI spokesman Rear Admiral Iskandar Sitompul said recently the TNI Headquarters had discussed three nominees for the post. However, the TNI`s High Ranks and Posts Council had yet to decide who would replace Gen Toisutta.
One of the three nominees is Lt Gen Pramono Edhie Wibowo who is currently commander of the Army`s Strategic Reserves Command (Kostrad).
Pramono is widely tipped as the strongest candidate to replace Toisutta. The younger brother of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono`s wife is seen by many as being competent to occupy the post.
Pramono was adjutant to former president Megawati Soekarnoputri and commandant general of the special elite force Kopassus from 2008 to 2009. He was later appointed to chief of the Siliwangi regional military command in 2009 and commander of the Army`s Strategic Reserves Command in 2010.
The other nominees are Lt Gen Budiman and Lt Gen Marciano Norman.
Budiman started his career in the TNI on December 1, 1978. Born in Jakarta on September 25, 1956, he has occupied a number of important and strategic posts including commander of combat engineering battalion 10 of the Army`s Strategic Reserves Command, chief of the Siliwangi regional military command and expert staff to the TNI chief for national political and security affairs.
He was also commander of the Diponegoro regional military command and presidential military secretary.
Meanwhile, Marciano Norman is currently commander of the TNI`s Education and Training Command (Kodiklat) in Bandung.
Born in Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan, on October 28, 1954, Marciano was also director of strategic environment analysis at the Defense Ministry and commander of presidential security force (Paspampres). In 2010 he was appointed as chief of the Jakarta regional military command. (*)
Editor: Kunto Wibisono
Copyright © ANTARA 2011
