Army Chief Andika Perkasa Nominated as Military Commander

Army Chief of Staff General Andika Perkasa speaks to reporters in Jakarta, August 30, 2020. (Joanito De Saojoao).

Jakarta. Army Chief of Staff General Andika Perkasa has been nominated by President Joko Widodo to become the next commander of the Indonesian Military, the House of Representatives confirmed on Wednesday.

With the pro-government coalition controlling a majority of seats in the House, Andika’s nomination is expected to get approval without issues.

He will replace Air Chief Marshal Hadi Tjahjanto who reaches retirement age next week.

“We have 20 working days to deliver our response to the president,” House Speaker Puan Maharani said at her office in Jakarta.

State Secretary Pratikno told the same press conference that the government expected to get House approval sooner than later. It’s only five days before Hadi retires.

“The government appeals to Madame Speaker and all House leaders and members for a speedy proceeding of this nomination,” he said.

Graduating from the Military Academy in 1987, Andika has had a long spell with the Army Special Forces, or Kopassus.

He became known to the public after being appointed as a spokesman for the army in November 2013, which earned him a promotion to brigadier general.

Within 11 months, he entered the inner circle of the government as the president asked him to lead the presidential security service, or Paspampres, an equivalent of the US Secret Service. His appointment came just two days after Jokowi was sworn in as the new president.

That means he became a major general in less than a year after his last promotion.

The son-in-law of former State Intelligence Agency head Hendropriyono continued running through the ranks after being appointed as the head of the army’s education and training division.

Andika, 56, was promoted to the army chief of staff in November 2018.