Independence:
17 August 1945 (independence proclaimed); 27 December 1949
(Netherlands recognizes Indonesian independence)
National holiday:
Independence Day, 17 August (1945)
Constitution:
August 1945; abrogated by Federal Constitution of 1949 and
Provisional Constitution of 1950, restored 5 July 1959; series of
amemdments concluded in 2002
Legal system:
based on Roman-Dutch law, substantially modified by indigenous
concepts and by new criminal procedures and election codes; 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) and Vice President Muhammad Yusuf KALLA (since 20
October 2004); note - the president is both the chief of state and
head of government
head of government: President Susilo Bambang YUDHOYONO (since 20
October 2004) and Vice President Muhammad Yusuf KALLA (since 20
October 2004); note - the president is both the chief of state and
head of government
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president
elections: president and vice president were elected for five-year
terms (eligible for a second term) by direct vote of the citizenry;
last held 20 September 2004 (next to be held in 2009)
election results: Susilo Bambang YUDHOYONO elected president
receiving 60.6% of vote; MEGAWATI Sukarnoputri received 39.4%
Legislative branch:
House of Representatives or Dewan Perwakilan Rakyat (DPR) (550
seats; members elected to serve five-year terms); House of Regional
Representatives (Dewan Perwakilan Daerah or DPD), constitutionally
mandated role includes providing legislative input to DPR on issues
affecting regions; People's Consultative Assembly (Majelis
Permusyawaratan Rakyat or MPR) has role in inaugurating and
impeaching president and in amending constitution; consists of
popularly-elected members in DPR and DPD; MPR does not formulate
national policy
elections: last held 5 April 2004 (next to be held in 2009)
election results: percent of vote by party - Golkar 21.6%, PDI-P
18.5%, PKB 10.6%, PPP 8.2%, PD 7.5%, PKS 7.3%, PAN 6.4%, others
19.9%; seats by party - Golkar 128, PDI-P 109, PPP 58, PD 55, PAN
53, PKB 52, PKS 45, others 50
note: because of election rules, the number of seats won does not
always follow the percentage of votes received by parties
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court or Mahkamah Agung (justices appointed by the
president from a list of candidates approved by the legislature); a
separate Constitutional Court or Mahkamah Konstitusi was invested by
the president on 16 August 2003; in March 2004 the Supreme Court
assumed administrative and financial responsibility for the lower
court system from the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights; Labor
Court under supervision of Supreme Court began functioning in
January 2006
Political parties and leaders:
Crescent Moon and Star Party or PBB [Yusril Ihza MAHENDRA];
Democratic Party or PD [Subur BUDHISANTOSO]; Functional Groups Party
or Golkar [Yusuf KALLA]; Indonesia Democratic Party-Struggle or
PDI-P [MEGAWATI Sukarnoputri]; National Awakening Party or PKB [Alwi
SHIHAB]; National Mandate Party or PAN [Sutrisno BACHIR]; Prosperous
Justice Party or PKS [Tifatul SEMBIRING]; United Development Party
or PPP [Hamzah HAZ]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA