Military To Remain Neutral In Presidential Polls

Ambon, Maluku, Dec 27 (Antara) - Army Chief of Staff General Budiman has stated that the Army will remain neutral in the 2014 presidential election. "We have learned from the earlier two direct presidential polls in which the TNI (Indonesian military) had remained neutral. That is the best way to continue," he noted, here on Thursday. Even if TNI members did not vote, they would still have members of their families to become smart voters, he observed. "Families of TNI members must exercise their rights to vote to determine their national leader," he emphasized. Talking about frequent clashes among people of the Maluku province, he stated that the clashes were inseparable from their heroic characteristics. The people of Maluku were known for their extraordinary bravery; they should however, use it for positive things, he noted. "The commander of the Pattimura regional military command XVI (which oversees Maluku and North Maluku provinces) has taken very good steps in encouraging the younger generations to channelize their bravery toward soccer," he pointed out. Asked about military personnel guarding the country`s outlying islands, the Army chief stated that they did not lack weapons. In performing their duties, they always lay emphasis on communication approaches that is in accordance to the needs of the locals, he explained. "We are building a territorial system using information technology and the Babinsa (non-commissioned officers assigned to villages) will use it maximally so that they can communicate well with foreign nationals," he stated.