The names of the Presidents of the Republic of Indonesia and their brief profiles
Jakarta (ANTARA) – After the Proclamation of Indonesian Independence on August 17 1945, this country was led by seven Presidents with various backgrounds and contributions. The President of Indonesia plays a dual role, namely as head of state and head of government, as well as being the official symbol of Indonesia in the eyes of the world.
In 2004, the election of the President and his deputy was carried out directly by the people with a term of office of five years per period. After serving two terms, the president is not allowed to run again.
This presidential system was designed in the 1945 Constitution by the Investigating Agency for Preparatory Efforts for Indonesian Independence (BPUPKI), which was formed during the Japanese occupation on March 1 1945 to prepare for Indonesian independence.
On August 18 1945, the Preparatory Committee for Indonesian Independence (PPKI), as a replacement for BPUPKI, appointed Soekarno as the first President of the Republic of Indonesia, as well as inaugurating the presidential institution in Indonesia.
Since the beginning of independence until October 2024, Indonesia has been led by seven Presidents. Who are they, and what is their background and brief profile like? The following is the explanation.
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List of Presidents of the Republic of Indonesia
1. Ir. Soekarno (1st President of the Republic of Indonesia)
Ir. Soekarno, known as Bung Karno, was the first President of the Republic of Indonesia. He was born in Surabaya on June 6 1901 and died on June 21 1970 in Jakarta.
Since he was young, Soekarno was active in the movement against Dutch colonialism and founded the Indonesian National Party in 1927 to fight for independence. He played an important role in formulating the basis of the state and the proclamation of independence on August 17 1945.
After independence, Soekarno was appointed President with Muhammad Hatta as Vice President. His leadership period recorded various achievements, such as the Asian-African Conference, the liberation of West Irian, and the holding of the 1962 Asian Games.
2. HM Soeharto (2nd President of the Republic of Indonesia)
HM Soeharto, born in Kemusuk, Bantul, Yogyakarta on 8 June 1921 and died on 27 January 2008 in Jakarta. He is the second President of Indonesia after Ir. Sukarno.
Before becoming president, Soeharto had a career in the military, starting from the rank of KNIL sergeant to TNI Major General. He once served as Commander of Kostrad and led the operation to liberate West Irian. On February 23, 1967, Sukarno handed over power to Suharto.
Soeharto led Indonesia for three decades, from 1967 to 1998, with various achievements such as food self-sufficiency, implementation of the Family Planning program, transmigration, and the Compulsory Education program.
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3. Bacharuddin Jusuf Habibie (3rd President of the Republic of Indonesia)
Bacharuddin Jusuf Habibie or usually called BJ Habibie was the third President of the Republic of Indonesia who was born in Parepare, South Sulawesi, 25 June 1936 and died in Jakarta, 11 September 2019.
BJ Habibie studied at the Faculty of Engineering, University of Indonesia (now ITB) and received a Doctorate degree from the Technische Hochschule, Germany, in 1965. In 1967, he became a Professor at ITB. Known for his intelligence, Habibie discovered a formula for calculating the fracture potential of an aircraft, which earned him the nickname Mr. Crack.
Before becoming President, Habibie served as CEO of IPTN and Minister of Research and Technology for 20 years. He also led the N250 Gatotkaca aircraft project and became vice president in 1998. After the fall of Soeharto, Habibie became the third President of the Republic of Indonesia with a term of office of 17 months. During that time, he issued the Press Law, the Election Law, and carried out banking restructuring and separated BI from the government.
4. KH Abdurrahman Wahid (4th President of the Republic of Indonesia)
KH Abdurrahman Wahid, or Gus Dur, was the fourth President of Indonesia, born in Jombang on 7 September 1940 and died in Jakarta on 30 December 2009. He came from a family of ulama, son of KH Wahid Hasyim and grandson of the founder of Nahdlatul Ulama, KH Hasyim Asy’ari .
After studying in Yogyakarta, Tegalrejo, Jombang and Egypt, Gus Dur returned to Indonesia to contribute to Islamic boarding schools and NU. In 1984, he was elected as General Chair of PBNU, a position he held until 1994.
Gus Dur became President in 1999, replacing BJ Habibie. During his leadership, he fought for tolerance, including by revoking Presidential Instruction no. 14/1967, which restored religious and cultural freedom for citizens of Chinese descent in Indonesia.
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5. Megawati Soekarnoputri (5th President of the Republic of Indonesia)
Megawati Soekarnoputri, born in Yogyakarta on January 23 1947, is the fifth President of Indonesia and the second daughter of the first President, Ir. Sukarno. He studied at Cikini College, Jakarta, and studied at Padjadjaran University and the University of Indonesia.
Megawati entered politics in 1987 by joining PDI and was elected as Chair in 1993. Her leadership sparked internal conflict, which culminated in the 1996 Kudatuli incident.
In 2001, Megawati became President replacing Gus Dur. Under his leadership, a number of important achievements were achieved, including the establishment of the Corruption Eradication Commission, the Constitutional Court, and the implementation of direct presidential elections.
6. Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (6th President of the Republic of Indonesia)
Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono or as he is familiarly known as SBY, was born in Pacitan on September 9 1949. SBY was the sixth President of Indonesia and the first President to be directly elected by the people.
Having a career in the military, SBY graduated from the Indonesian Military Academy in 1973 as the best graduate. He held various strategic positions, including Commander of Airborne Brigade 17 Kujang I/Kostrad and Pangdam II/Sriwijaya.
Apart from the military, SBY was Minister of Mines and Energy and Coordinating Minister for Politics and Security. In 2004, he was elected as President with Jusuf Kalla, and re-elected in 2009 with Boediono as his deputy.
7. Joko Widodo (7th President of the Republic of Indonesia)
Joko Widodo, or Jokowi, is the seventh President of Indonesia, born in Surakarta, 21 June 1961. His political career began as Mayor of Surakarta (2005-2012), then became Governor of DKI Jakarta (2012-2014) before being elected President in 2014 with Jusuf Kalla.
In 2019, Jokowi was re-elected with Ma’ruf Amin as Vice President. The main focus of his leadership is infrastructure development, followed by social programs such as KIP, KIS, and PKH. In the second period, Jokowi prioritized increasing human resources, while continuing infrastructure projects.
With various backgrounds and characteristics, every Indonesian President has made important contributions to the history and development of the nation. Their leadership reflects the political and social dynamics faced by Indonesia from time to time.
New president
On February 14 2024, Indonesia held a presidential election which is part of the 2024 general election. In the presidential election, presidential and vice presidential candidates Prabowo Subianto and Gibran Rakabuming Raka were declared the winners. The elected presidential and vice presidential candidates are scheduled to be inaugurated on October 20 2024.
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Reporter: M. Hilal Eka Saputra Harahap
Editor: Suryanto
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