A NUMBER of retired generals have decided to play politics and campaign for their favorite candidates in the upcoming presidential election, waging a war of dirty tricks on each other. A letter issued by the Army Officers Honor Council in 1998 dismissing presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto for his role in the abduction of pro-democracy activists was leaked to the public. Then came revelations of active non-commissioned officers or babinsa on duty in villages around Java ‘directing’ locals to vote for Prabowo, violating the law on the military’s neutrality. Clearly, soldiers from the lowest to the highest rung are chafi ng over their exclusion from politics. Should they be allowed to vote in future elections? Tempo reports on the dilemma of the military and politics.