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HISTORY
The New Order to Reform
Order Government
Since the outset of
the First Five-Year Development Plan in 1969, Indonesia under the New Order
Government of President Soeharto had endeavoured
to achieve its national development goals. Indonesia, indeed, was able to
achieve a substantial progress in various fields which had been enjoyed by
the majority of Indonesian people. Indonesia had gained a success of
national development, but unfortunately economic crisis, which began
monetary crisis, struck Indonesia as of July 1997.
Since the middle of
1997, the standard of living of Indonesian people has dropped fast. The
decline in the people’s standard of living was aggravated by various
political tension arising from the 1997 general elections. The political
system and interests of the community. This led to the occurrence of riots
and disturbances. To a certain extend, these happenings reflected the less
functioning of the Political order and of the government, finally causing
this situation to develop into a political crisis.
This accumulation of
the economic crisis and the political crisis became a triggered factor for
crisis in confidence. This applied not just to officials and state-running
institutions, but also began to touch on the system of values and the legal
foundations that underpin the state running institutions.
A number of students
demonstrated to summon for political and economic reformations. They
demanded President Soeharto to step down and
swept out corruption, collusion and nepotism. Critical moments prevailed in
the capital city of Jakarta, and other towns from May 12 to 21, 1998.
On May 12, 1998, a
tragedy happened in the Trisakti University
Campus, causing the death of four students. On May 18, the leadership of the
House suggested the President to resign. The president’s effort to
accommodate the developing aspirations of the people by forming a reform
provincial cabinet and a reform committee never materialized as there was no
adequate support from various circles.
On May 21, 1998,
finally, President Soeharto, after a 32 year
rule under the New Order Government resigned. Pursuant to Article 8 of the
1945 Constitution and the People’s Consultative Assembly decree No. VII/MPR/1973,
he handed over the country’s leader to Vice president
Bacharuddin Jusuf
Habibie. Habibie took his oath of office
before Chief Justice Sarwata to become
Indonesia’s third President. Presiden
Soeharto also disbanded the cabinet which he
formed shortly after his re-election for a seventh five-year presidential
term in March.
A day after his
instalment as the third president, Habibie
formed the Development Reform Cabinet. He pick up the ministers from the
various political and social forces, including three politicians from the
two minority parties, the United Development Party (PPP) and the Indonesian
Democracy Party of Struggle (PDI), to provide the needed synergy. During the
Presidency of B.J. Habibie Indonesia conducted
the session of the people’ Consultative Assembly (MPR) in November 1998 and
carried out general Election on June 7, 1999.
Indonesians vote for
representatives at three levels: the House of Representatives (DPR), the
Provincial Assemblies (DPRD I) and regency assemblies (DPRD II). Every
citizen of Indonesia has the right to cast his/her vote in the election.
Politicaly parties in Indonesia were
simplified in 1973. Since that time until the general election of 1997,
there were two political parties, the United Development party (Partai
Persatuan Pembangunan)
and the Indonesian Democracy Party of Struggle (Partai
Demokrasi Indonesia), plus the Functional Group
(Golongan Karya),
Golkar emerged as the winning party at every
election ever held during the New Order Government.
Indonesia’s eight
general election held in June, 7, 1999 was the first General Election in the
Reform Order Government under the President B.J.
Habibie Administration. Forty-eight (48) political parties contested
for the election, under observation of both domestic and international
observers and great coverage of free press. It was noted as the most
democratic and transparent general election in Indonesia. People were to
choose 462 legislators from at least 10,500 candidates from 48 political
parties to represent them at 500-member House Representatives. The remaining
38 seats have been allocated to the military, whose members have
relinquished their rights to vote.
The result of 1999
General Election are : the Indonesian Democracy Party of Struggle (PDI
Perjuangan) headed by
Megawati Soekarnoputri on the top of the
list, followed by its four contenders : the Golkar
Party, the National Awakening Party (PKB), the United Development Party
(PPP), and the National mandate Party (PAN). But under the Islamic PAN
Alliance, Megawati was posited to
Vice-President, during General Assembly Session. While
Abdurrahman Wahid from the UDP (PPP), run
after her for the President.
Based on the Law No. 4
of 1999, concerning the Composition and Status of the People’ Consultative
Assembly (MPR) and the House Representative (DPR), the total number of MPR
members is 700, consisting of : 500 DPR members, 135 delegates from the
regions (that is, five persons each province), and 65 delegates of
functional groupings. All members of the House are concurrently members of
the Assembly. The MPR held general session in two stages, from October 1 to
3 and October 14-21, 1999. During the session the accountability address of
president Habibie was rejected, and
Habibie with drew from his presidential
nomination as a candidate from the Golkar Party.
Abdurrahman Wahid,
better know as Gus Dur, indisputably become
Indonesia’s fourth President.
The
2001 Special Session of the People’s Consultative Assembly
There was severe
tension between President Abdurrahman
Wahid and the Parliament on some issue. This led
to the announcement of the declaration of the state of emergency and the
suspension of MPR, DPR and the Golkar Party as
well as the calling for constructing organization of general election in a
short time, declared by President Wahid.
Responding to the
President announcement, the Parliament immediately held a special session on
July 21, 2001, which was due to convene a Special Session on August 1, 2001,
and asked the President to make his accountability.
The President failed
to attend the MPR session and to report his accountability, making it to the
MPR issued the decree (No. II/MPR/2000) that impeached
Abdurrahman Wahid from presidency and
appointed Vice-President Megawati
Soekarnoputri the country’s 6th
president of the Republic of Indonesia, and Hamzah
haz vice president.
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