Pramono receives high score despite lack of vision, family ties with SBY: Kontras

Noted human rights group, Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras), ranked Army Strategic Reserves (Kostrad) chief Lt. Gen. Pramono Edhie Wibowo at second place in its capacity assessment on the seven new army chief of staff candidates.

Pramono, who is also President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyonoâ??s brother-in-law, was put below deputy Army chief of staff Lt. Gen. Budiman, who, according to Kontras, was the best candidate.

Kontras also gave same score as Pramonoâ??s to Army Educational and Training Command chief Lt. Gen. Marciano Norman.

â??However, according to our assessment, which used five criteria, none of the seven candidates have shown strong commitment on human rights and [there are] serious concerns over military reform,â? Kontras coordinator Haris Azhar told the press on Monday.

He said Pramono should not be appointed as new Army chief of staff, not only because his score was lower than Budimanâ??s, but also because of his family ties with the President and his poor human rights track record.

â??The public would easily see political intervention and nepotism, should Pramono be chosen,â? Haris said.

Pramono has also been accused of human rights violations when he headed the Army Special Forces (Kopassus) team in 1999. The force was deployed to Timor Leste at the time of a referendum on independence which saw the killing of more than 1,000 civilians.

The TNI will see a new army chief of staff by July 1, a day after current chief General George Toisutta enters his retirement period. The ultimate decision on the appointment will be within the hands of the President.

Rumor has it that Pramono would be promoted as the TNI commander not long after the President appointed him as the new Army chief of staff in order to â??secureâ? the political situation ahead of the 2014 general elections.