After waiting in the wings, Indonesia's retired military officers are seeking a new kind of power in tomorrow's elections, writes Fabio Scarpello
After the fall of president Suharto in 1998, Indonesia's powerful military found itself sidelined by enthusiasm for the nation's nascent democracy.
But more than a decade later, many former military officers are again vying for roles in the Indonesian power game - this time via the ballot box.
Hundreds of former officers have shed their uniforms for political colours and will be seeking election in tomorrow's nationwide polls, raising concerns about their motives and goals.
Dewi Fortuna Anwar of the Centre for Political and Regional Studies said people should be alert, but not alarmed. 'Previously, the TNI's [military] political involvement was institutionalised, but now it is on an individual basis. It is quite different,' she said.
Retired officers brought with them a professionalism often lacking among civilian politicians, but they also brought a mindset that might lead to impatience with the democratic process, she said. 'If too many of them are elected to parliament, there is a risk that this mindset could influence the overall political culture.'
