On August 18, 1945, the day after independence was proclaimed, the Indonesia's Committee for Preparation of Independence (PPKI) elected Soekarno by acclamation as first president of the young Republic with Hatta as vice-president.

Soekarno's address before the members of the Investigating Committee for Preparation for Indonesian Independence (BPUPKI) on June 1, 1945, outlined five principles called Panca Sila that later on developed to become the nation's basic philosophy contained in the Preamble of the 1945 Constitution.

In 1955, President Soekarno had to his credit the holding of the Asian-African Conference in Bandung, West Java. The initiative was taken by Indonesia, India, Pakistan, Myanmar and Ceylon (Sri Lanka). The conference was attended by delegates from 24 Asian and African countries. Also presences in the conference were Chou En-Lai of China, Nehru of India, and Nasser of Egypt. This was an important beginning for non-aligned movement.

In the same year Soekarno succeeded in holding Indonesia's first general election in which 47 political parties contested to elect their representatives for the House (DPR) and the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR).

On July 5, 1959 he issued a Decree for the reinstatement of the 1945 Constitution. This was followed by his announcement of a Political Manifesto on August 17. Later the Manifesto became the Guidelines of State Policy.

On the 30^th of September 1965 the Indonesian Communist Party (PKI) staged another coup which was however abortive failed by the Indonesian Armed Forces.

Later, Major General Soeharto emerged as the strong man of a new regime, and ordered the army to eliminate all traces of the Communist Party.

In March 1967 the MPR formally revoked Soekarno's governing authority and appointed Soeharto acting president, pursuant to the Provisional People's Consultative Assembly's Decree No. XLIV/1968.  Soekarno was put into house detention, before passing away in June 1970

Soeharto, the Second President

Indonesia under the New Order Government of President Soeharto had shown substantial achievement in many fields, especially economic and national development, before severe economic crisis that began with monetary crisis hitting the country as of July 1997.

Such economy crisis caused substantial decline in the people's standards of living. Following suit was political crisis since the existing political system was unable to accommodate the dynamism of the aspirations and interests of the community. Students' street protests occurred frequently; they demanded political and economic reform as well as resignation of President Soeharto who had ruled the country for more than 32 years and eradication of corruption, collusion and nepotism. Pressure against President Soeharto to resign became so strong. Even the leadership of the House suggested Soeharto that he should resign.

Finally, Soeharto resigned on May 21, 1998, and he handed over the country's leadership to Vice-President B.J. Habibie.

B.J. Habibie, the Third President

Habibie became the nation's third president. A day after having been inducted as President, he formed the Reform Development Cabinet, composing of various political and social forces, including politicians from the two minority parties, the United Development Party (PPP) and the Indonesian Democracy Party (PDI).

It was under the leadership of President Habibie the country's eighth general election taking place on June 7, 1999.

At the conclusion of its session, then the Assembly elected Mr. Abdurrahman Wahid after he outvoted four contenders including Megawati Soekarnoputri, who later was elected vice-president after overcoming Mr. Hamzah Haz. Abdurrahman Wahid secured 373 votes out of the total 691 against 313 votes gained by Megawati.

Earlier, the Habibie's administration reintroduced party system, by which forty-eight (48) political parties contested the election. The Indonesian Democracy Party of Struggle (PDI-P) got the top of the list, followed by its major contenders, i.e. Golkar Party, the National Awakening Party (PKB), the United Development Party (PPP) and the National Mandate Party (PAN).

It was under the Habibie Administration a number of political prisoners were released, freedom of expression by the people and press respected.

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 withdrew from his presidential nomination as a candidate from the Golkar Party.

Abdurrahman Wahid, better known as Gus Dur, indisputably became Indonesia's fourth president. Internationally acclaimed moderate Moslem leader, he is one of the National Awakening Party's founders. He started his political career in 1984 when he was elected chairman of the Nahdlatul Ulemas Islamic Organization.

The people's earlier expectations and hope upon President Abdurrahman Wahid to be able to restore the prolonged crisis was high enough. Relations between the House and President Abdurrahman Wahid since 2000, however, became sour and severe because the House regarded Abdurrahman Wahid failed to execute the constitution properly and to administer good governance. For this, the House sent letters of warning in the form of "Memorandum" I and II to him and demanded him to give explanations to Parliament. But on the other hand, President felt his administration had governed in conform with the constitution, so he ignored the summon from Parliament to give explanations. Instead, he declared a state of emergency that would be effective as of 6 p.m. on July 31, 2001, and suspended the MPR, DPR and Golkar Party.

In respond to the actions made by President Wahid, the MPR immediately held a special session during which it discharged Abdurrahman Wahid as president and appointed Vice-President Megawati Soekarnoputri the fifth president of the Republic of Indonesia.

Megawati Soekarnoputri, the Fifth President

On July 23, 2001, Diah Permata Megawati Soekarnoputri took an oath of office of President of the Republic of Indonesia. She served his term of office until October 20, 2004. Megawati is the eldest daughter of the first Indonesian President, Ir. Sukarno.

However, it was only on August 9, 2001, President Megawati could announce members of her Cabinet named "Kabinet Gotong Royong" (Mutual Cooperation Cabinet). Her cabinet consists of three coordinating ministers, 18 ministers with portfolio, nine state ministers, and two high officials enjoying ministerial level.

During her tenure, Megawati succeeded in not only improving substantially macro-economic performance, maintaining socio-political stability, but also in managing fairly arduous, complicated but peaceful, fair and democratic general elections of members of legislature and President and Vice-President in 2004. She surrendered the presidential post she served for more than three years, to her predecessor Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

SUSILO BAMBANG YUDHOYONO, the SIXth President

see : The president