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Indonesian President Swears in Deputy Police Chief
Indonesian President Abdurrahman Wahid Saturday swore in deputy national police chief Commissioner General Chaeruddin Ismail after failing to get the police chief to resign.
The move followed the refusal on Friday by national police chief General Suroyo Bimantoro to resign as demanded by the president. Bimantoro claimed that his dismissal was illegal.
Wahid had issued a decree in April abolishing the deputy chief of the national police from the police chain of command.
In the past, deputy police chiefs had always been sworn in by the police chief based on an appointment by presidential decree.
Under the law, the president can only replace a national police chief with the approval of the House of Representatives (DPR).
The DPR has already criticized Wahid for replacing then national police chief General Rusdiharjo in 1999 without consulting the body.
"Just wait and see, but what is clear is that according to the new police organization validation scheme, there is no national police deputy chief," Bimantoro was quoted by the Detikcom online news service as saying.
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