Politics of Indonesia
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Indonesia is a republic based on the 1945 constitution providing for a limited separation of executive, legislative, and judicial power. The governmental system has been described as "presidential with parliamentary characteristics."
A constitutional reform process has been underway since 1999, and has already produced several important changes. Among these are two 5-year term limits for the President and Vice President and measures to institute checks and balances. The highest state institution is the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR), whose functions include electing the president and vice president, establishing broad guidelines of state policy, and amending the constitution. The 695-member MPR includes all 500 members of the Dewan Perwakilan Rakyat (DPR) or House of Representatives plus 130 "regional representatives" elected by the 26 provincial parliaments and 65 appointed members from societal groups. The DPR, which is the premier legislative institution, includes 462 members elected through a mixed proportional/district representational system and 38 appointed members of the armed forces (TNI) and police (POLRI). During the authoritarian Soeharto era, the armed forces played a central political role under a doctrine known as "dual function," with the DPR and MPR comprising a substantially higher proportion of appointed TNI/POLRI and societal group members than at present.
Under existing agreements, TNI/POLRI representation in the DPR will end at the time of the next general election in 2004 and will end in the MPR in 2009. Societal group representation in the MPR is expected to be eliminated in 2004 through further constitutional change. Military domination of regional administration is gradually breaking down, with new regulations prohibiting active-duty officers from holding political office.
Under constitutional changes in 2004, the MPR will become a bicameral legislature, with the creation of the Dewan Perwakilan Daerah (DPD) or Senate, in which each province will be represented by four members, although its legislative powers will be more limited than those of the DPR.
A general election in June 1999 produced the first freely elected national, provincial, and regional parliaments in over 40 years. In October 1999 the MPR elected a compromise candidate, Abdurrahman Wahid (a.k.a Gus Dur), as the country's fourth president, and Megawati Sukarnoputri, a daughter of the country's first president, as the vice president. Megawati's PDI-P party had won the largest share of the vote (34%) in the general election, while Golkar, the dominant party during the Soeharto era, came in second (22%). Several other, mostly Islamic parties won shares large enough to be seated in the DPR. Having served as rubberstamp bodies in the past, the DPR and MPR have gained considerable power and are increasingly assertive in oversight of the executive branch. In part, this reflects a desire to prevent the presidential excesses of the past and, in part, to restrain Wahid, who is seen as at times dangerously unpredictable. Through his appointed cabinet, the president retains the authority to conduct the administration of the government, but some observers believe the balance of power has shifted too far in the direction of the legislature.
Constitution: August 1945, abrogated by Federal Constitution of 1949 and Provisional Constitution of 1950, restored 5 July 1959
Legal system: based on Roman-Dutch law, substantially modified by indigenous concepts and by new criminal procedures code; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage: 17 years of age; universal and married persons regardless of age
Executive branch:
chief of state:
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (since 20 october 2004)
note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government:
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.
Vice President Jusuf Kalla
cabinet:
United Indonesia Cabinet (Kabinet Indonesia Bersatu)
elections:
president and vice president selected by vote of the citizens for five-year terms. Prior to 2004, they are chosen by People's Consultative Assembly; election last held 20 September 2004
election results:
Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono won the election with 61% of the vote. In contrast, incumbent Megawati Sukarnoputri received 39% of the vote.
Legislative branch:
unicameral House of Representatives or Dewan Perwakilan Rakyat (DPR) (500 seats; 462 elected by popular vote, 38 are appointed military representatives; members serve five-year terms) In 2004, a new Senate or Dewan Perwakilan Daera (DPD) will be established, with each province represented by four members
elections:
last held 5 April 2004
election results:
percent of vote by dominant party - Golkar 21.6%, PDI-P 18.5%, PKB 10.6%, PD 7.5%, PKS 7.3%; seats by dominant party - Golkar 128, PDI-P 109, PKB 52, PD 57, PKS 45.
note:
the People's Consultative Assembly (Majelis Permusyawaratan Rakyat or MPR) includes the DPR plus 200 indirectly selected members; it meets every five years to elect the president and vice president and to approve the broad outlines of national policy
Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Mahkamah Agung), the judges are appointed by the president
Selected Political parties and leaders: Development Unity Party or PPP (federation of former Islamic parties) (Hamzah HAZ, chairman); Golkar (Akbar TANJUNG, general chairman); Indonesia Democracy Party or PDI (federation of former Nationalist and Christian Parties) (Budi HARDJONO, chairman); Indonesia Democracy Party-Struggle or PDI-P (MEGAWATI Sukarnoputri, chairperson); National Awakening Party or PKB (Alwi Abdurrahman Shihab, chairman); National Mandate Party or PAN (Amien RAIS, chairman)
Further reading
- O'Rourke, Kevin. 2002. Reformasi: the struggle for power in post-Soeharto Indonesia. Crows Nest, NSW: Allen & Unwin. ISBN 1865087548
- Schwarz, Adam. 2000. A nation in waiting: Indonesia's search for stability. Boulder, CO: Westview Press. ISBN 0813336503
See also
- Foreign relations of Indonesia
- List of Presidents of Indonesia
- List of Vice Presidents of Indonesia
- Flag of Indonesia
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