The Indonesian military will stick to their principle of neutrality as the country gears up for a general election this year.

Indonesia Military (TNI) Commander Gen. Moeldoko made the commitment at the annual Military Leaders Meeting in Jakarta, which is running from January 8-13.

The military chief asserted TNI’s neutrality during the legislative election scheduled for April and the presidential poll to take place in July-October.

He requested members of military to maintain their commitment of non-involvement in politics, adding that armed forces will assist the state without becoming involved in de facto politics.

Moeldoko addressed the need for an additional 100 billion IDR (8.3 million USD) from the state budget, which was supported by the Parliament’s Security-Defence Committee.

Addressing the meeting, Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono lauded the contribution of military and police forces to the general elections held from 2004-2009.

He called for military and police officers to distance themselves from politics while performing their duties in providing security during the upcoming polls.-VNA