"You may come to the Military Academy. I have written my aspiration there. My only dream was being a soldier," he said when asked about the possibility he would be nominated for president in 2014 at a gathering with media representatives here on Tuesday.
"I have just been promoted to army chief of staff. So it would be sinful and hurt the army, if I now start to engage in wishful thinking. I only wish to serve the army," the brother of First Lady Ani Yudhoyono said.
Pramono admitted some people had suggested that he would run for president in 2014. He however reaffirmed that he would be loyal to the TNI-AD (the Army).
"Why. It is because I am known as a four-star general because of the army. I cannot hurt it," he said.
He said he would not use the Army for political purposes. "I think I will not become a true soldier (if I use the Army for political purposes)," he said.
Asked what he would do after he retired, Pramono said he would possibly become a farmer. "I am quite close to farmers," he said.
He said it was also easier for an army member to adapt himself to be a farmer because an army member often conducted civic missions in villages.
"Being a businessman is far from real," he said.
On the issue of military hardware Pramono said it would be developed based upon the country`s program and capacity. He said he had appointed deputy army chief to set up a team to deal with the matter.
He said he agreed with the idea of procuring at home for weapons that could be produced domestically. "They must be domestically manufactured products. Full stop. Because I also have a national interest," he said.
However he said if the weapons they wished to own could not as yet be manufactured at home they could procure them abroad.
He said TNI AD would strive to possess military hardware which is equal or minimally of the same class to that of other countries.
Pramono was installed as the new army chief of staff by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on June 30, 2011 to replace General George Toisutta who entered retirement.
(T.U002/H-YH/HAJM/F001)
Editor: Priyambodo RH
Copyright © ANTARA 2011
