TNI Chief General Gatot Nurmantyo Not Replaced, Says President Jokowi

Jakarta, 10 Safar 1438/09 November 2016 MINA) – President Joko Widodo, popularly known as Jokowi, has said that the National Defense Forces (TNI) Chief General Gatot Nurmantyo has not been replaced.

“There is no change in the TNI leadership,” Antara quoted Jokowi as saying in the company of Nurmantyo at the State Palace in Jakarta on Wednesday.

Jokowi made the statement in response to the circulation of information about the planned replacement of the TNI commander.

“Therefore, I invite the TNI chief to the State Palace to assert that there was no such replacement,” the president said after the award ceremony of National Hero and the Order of Merit.

He mentioned that Nurmantyo had so far been working well.

“He has been working well day and night,” Jokowi said, adding that he had ordered the National Police chief to follow up on the information about the replacement.

Jokowi said that he had been with the TNI chief in recent days and they even had lunch together the previous day.

In the meantime, Nurmantyo said that if there was a change, he would have been summoned by the president.

“I have no comments; you can analyze the purpose of the incorrect information. The president has ordered the National Police chief to follow it up,” he said.  (T/R07/R01)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA