President of the Republic of Indonesia Dr. H. Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono Born in Pacitan, East Java, on September 9th 1949 is the President of the Republic of Indonesia. He was commissioned as Second Lieutenant (Infantry) in 1973. From then he had 27 years of service in the military, combined with service in governmental institutions, trainings, visitations, and assignments in 28 countries including USA, Russia, Germany, UK, Panama, Belgium, and Australia. He served in various posts as Commander of Infantry, Staff Officer, Territorial Commander, Trainer and Lecturer in Operational Zones, Bases, and Oversea Posts. In 2000, he was promoted to a General in the Indonesian Armed Forces (TNI). He had also served as Minister of Mining and Energy, Coordinating Minister for Political, Social and Security Affairs in the National Union Cabinet, and Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs in the “Gotong Royong Cabinet”. In the country’s first direct presidential election in 2004, he was elected as President of the Republic of Indonesia for the 2004-2009 period. And in the 2009 presidential election, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono won more than 60% of the vote in the first round, which enabled him to secure reelection without a run-off.

Vice President of the Republic of Indonesia Prof. Dr. Boediono, M.Ec. Born in Blitar, East Java, on February 25th 1943 is the Vice President of the Republic of Indonesia, after winning the 2009 presidential election together with incumbent President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. Boediono was a Bank Indonesia deputy governor in charge of fiscal monetary policy from 1997 to 1998 and served as State Minister of National Planning and Development from 1998 to October 1999. In 2001 he was appointed as Minister of Finance and succeeded to make an economic growth to a level of 4% in 2002. Boediono was a Financial Minister from 2001 to 2004 and served as Economic Coordinating Minister from 2005 to 2008. He then served as the Governor of Bank Indonesia from 2008 to May 2009. After he was selected by Yudhoyono as a running mate in the 2009 presidential election, Boediono submitted his resignation from the central bank post. Boediono was listed as one of the Wharton School's 125 Influential People and Ideas in 2007 and was dubbed as "Indonesia's financial rudder".

Presidential election was held in Indonesia on July 8th 2009. The elections returned the president and his new vice-president for the 2009–2014 period. A run-off election was scheduled to be held on September 8th if needed, but President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono won more than 60% of the vote in the first round, which enabled him to secure reelection without a run-off. Yudhoyono was officially declared the victory of the election on July 23rd 2009, by the General Election Commission.

LEGISLATURE

Indonesia's legislative body, the Majelis Permusyawaratan Rakyat, or MPR, also welcomed new members in 2009. Over 171 million people voted to determine their national representations.

The People's Consultative Assembly (Indonesian: Majelis Permusyawaratan Rakyat/MPR) is the highest governing body in Indonesia, as set by the 1945 Constitution.

In accordance with Law No.16/1960, the assembly was formed after the first general election of 1971. It was decided at that time that the membership of the Assembly would be twice that of the House of Representative.

The 920 membership of MPR continued for the periods of 1977-1982 and 1982-1987. For the periods 1987-1992, 1992-1997, and 1997-1999 the MPR's membership became 1000. One hundred members were appointed representing delegations from groups as addition to the fraction delegates of Karya Pembangunan (FKP), Partai Demokrasi Indonesia (FPDI), and Partai Persatuan Pembangunan (FPPP). For the period of the 1999-2004 the membership of MPR was 700, and for 2004-2009 period the MPR membership is 678.

Furthermore, in accordance with law No.27/2009, it was decided that the membership of the Assembly consists of DPR and DPD, where as for 2009-2014 period the MPR membership is 692.

Following the election, Mr. Taufiq Kiemas became the Chairman of the MPR and Mr. Marzuki Alie became the Chairman of the Dewan Perwakilan Rakyat, or DPR.

The People's Representative Council (Indonesian: Dewan Perwakilan Rakyat/DPR) sometimes referred to as the House of Representatives, is one of two elected national legislative assemblies in Indonesia. It is the lower house of the legislature of Indonesia. Before the 2004 election, the DPR had 500 members, of whom 462 were elected by proportional representation from each of Indonesia's 27 provinces, and 38 were chosen to represent the Indonesian armed forces and police. From 2004 these seats have been abolished, and the new DPR will have 550 members elected by the people. Currently, following the 2009 election, 560 members were elected.

The Regional Representatives Council (Dewan Perwakilan Rakyat/DPD) is a second chamber that was created by the Third Amendment to the 1945 Constitution of Indonesia enacted November 9th 2001 in a move towards bicameralism. The DPD does not have the revising powers of an upper house like the United States Senate. Article 22D restricts the DPD to dealing with bills on 'regional autonomy, the relationship of central and local government, formation, expansion and merger of regions, management of natural resources and other economic resources, and Bills related to the financial balance between the centre and the regions.'

Accordingly, the DPD will also give considerations to the DPR concerning the bills on State Budget and the bills concerning tax, education, and religious affairs and perform surveillance on the implementation of the law and submit the results of surveillance to the DPR. The DPD shall hold session at least once in a year. The terms of office for the DPD is five years, and the DPD members shall be able to be dismissed from their position, the requirements, and procedures shall be regulated by law.

STATE PHILOSOPHY

Pancasila, pronounced Panchaseela, is the philosophical basis of the Indonesian State. Pancasila consists of two Sanskrit words, “Panca” meaning five, and “Sila” meaning principle. It comprises five inseparable and interrelated principles. They are:

1. BELIEF IN THE ONE SUPREME GOD

2. JUST AND CIVILIZED HUMANITY

3. THE UNITY OF INDONESIA

4. DEMOCRACY GUIDED BY THE INNER WISDOM IN THE UNANIMITY ARISING OUT OF

DELIBERATIONS AMONGST REPRESENTATIVES

5. SOCIAL JUSTICE FOR WHOLE OF THE PEOPLE OF INDONESIA

Elaboration of the five principles is as follows:

1. Belief in the One Supreme God

This principle of Pancasila reaffirms the Indonesian people’s belief that God does exist. It also implies that the Indonesian people believe in life after death. It emphasizes the pursuit of sacred values will lead the people to a better life in the hereafter. The principle is embodied in article 29, Section 1of the 1945 Constitution and reads: The state shall be based on the belief in the One and Only God.

2. Just and Civilized Humanity

Just principle requires that human beings be treated with due regard to their dignity as God’s creatures. It emphasizes that the Indonesian people do not tolerate physical or spiritual oppression of human beings by their own people or by any other nation.

3. The Unity of Indonesia

This principle embodies the concept of nationalism, of love for one’s nation and motherland. It envisages the need to always foster national unity and integrity. Pancasila Nationalism demands that Indonesians avoid feelings of superiority on ethnical grounds, for reasons of ancestry and colour of the skin. In 1928 Indonesian youth pledged to have one country, one nation and one language, while the Indonesian coat of arms enshrines the symbols of “Bhineka Tunggal Ika” which means “Unity in diversity”.

4. Democracy Guided by the Inner Wisdom in the Unanimity Arising Out of Deliberations amongst Representatives

Pancasila democracy calls for decision-making through deliberations, or "musyawarah", to reach a consensus, or mufakat. It is democracy that lives up to the principles of Pancasila. This implies that democratic right must always be exercised with a deep sense of responsibility to God Almighty according to one’s own conviction and religious belief, with respect for humanitarian values of man’s dignity and integrity, and with a view to preserving and strengthening national unity and the pursuit of social justice.

Thus, Pancasila Democracy means democracy based on the people’s sovereignty which is inspired by and integrated with other principles of Pancasila. This means that the use of democratic rights should always be in line with responsibility towards God Almighty according to the respective faith; uphold human values in line with human dignity; guarantee and strengthen national unity; and be aimed at realizing social justice for the whole of the people of Indonesia.

5. Social Justice for the Whole of the People of Indonesia

This principle calls for the equitable spread of welfare to the entire population, not in a static but in a dynamic progressive way. This means that all the country’s natural resources and the national potentials should be utilized for the greater possible good and happiness of the people.

Social justice implies protection of the weak. But protection should not deny their work. On the contrary, they should work according to their abilities and fields of activity. Protection should prevent willful treatment by the strong and ensure the rule of justice.

These are the sacred values of Pancasila which, as a cultural principle, should always be respected by every Indonesian because it is now the ideology of the state and the life philosophy of the Indonesian people.

THE 1945 CONSTITUTION

The Constitution of the Republic of Indonesia is usually referred to as the 1945 Constitution. This partly because the constitution was drafted and adopted in 1945 when the Republic was being established, and another to distinguish it from other constitutions which were introduced in free Indonesia.

Furthermore, the articles of the 1945 Constitution spell out the ideals and the goals for which independence was proclaimed on August 17, 1945, and defended thereafter. It reflects the spirit and vigor of the time when the constitution was shaped. It was inspired by the urge for unity and for the common goals and democracy built upon the age-old Indonesian concepts of gotong royong (mutual assistance), deliberations of representatives (musyawarah) and consensus (mufakat).

Since the reformation era, the 1945 Constitution has experienced some amendments for four times in the annual sessions of the Assembly of 1999, 2000, 2001, and 2002. All the amendments were based on topics covering sovereignty, authority of the People's Consultative Assembly, direct election of the President and the Vice-President, term of office of President and Vice-President, discharge of President and Vice-President on posts, the replacement of President and Vice President amid the term by the Vice-President, executor of Presidential duties, the formation of the President Advisory Council and the elimination of the Supreme Advisory Council, the state ministries, the regional government, the establishment of the Regional Representative's Council and its financial matters, the Audit Board, the Supreme Court, the Constitutional Court, the Judicial Commission, Human Rights, the state defense and security, education and culture, national economies and social welfare, the state attributes, the amendment of the Constitution, transitional provision, and additional provision.

The most significant items being amended include sovereignty, direct election of President and Vice-President, term of office of President and Vice-President, and the formation of the Regional Representative's Council, the establishment of the Constitutional Court, and the Judicial Commission, and Human Rights.

On sovereignty, the sovereignty is vested with the people and executed according to the Constitution. Originally, the sovereignty was vested in the people and executed fully by the People's Consultative Assembly.

On direct election of president and vice-president, under the amended Constitution the people are being given the right to elect president and vice-president directly. Previously the president and vice-president were elected by members of the Assembly.

Regarding the term of office of the President and Vice-President, the amended Constitution regulates that the president and vice-president hold the fixed term of five years and eligible for another term was not concrete to arrange the frequency of the term.

The amended 1945 Constitution gives room for the formations of few state organs such as the Regional Representative's Council, the Constitutional Court, and the Judicial Commission.

The Constitution also sets the formulation of the human rights in a separated chapter. It asserts that the responsibility for implementing protection, promotion, upholding, and fulfilling of human rights rests on the state, mainly the Government.

On education, the amended Constitution rules out that at least some 20 percent of the state budget and regional budget should be earmarked for education, by taking into consideration most part of the human resources belong to lower standards of education.

Preceded by a preamble, the Constitution of the Republic of Indonesia consists of 37 articles, four transitional clauses and two additional provisions.

COAT OF ARMS

Indonesian coat of arms consists of a golden eagle, called “garuda” that is a figure from ancient Indonesian epics. It is also pictured on many temples from the 6th Century.

The eagle is a symbol of creative energy. It’s principal color, gold, suggests the greatness of the nation. The black color represents nature. There are 17 feathers on each wing, 8 on the tail and 45 on the neck. These figures stand for the date of Indonesia’s independence proclamation: 17 August 1945.

The motto, “Bhinneka Tunggal Ika” (Unity in Diversity), is enshrined on a banner held in the eagle’s talons. Empu Tantular, asaint of the Majapahit Kingdom introduced this old Javanese motto, in the 15th century. It signifies the unity of the Indonesian people despite their diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds.

The shield symbolizes self-defense in struggle and protection of oneself. The red and white colors on the shield's background denote the colors of the Indonesian national flag. The five symbols on shield represent the state philosophy of Pancasila, the foundation of the Indonesian state.

The bar across the center indicates the equator, which passes through the islands of Sumatera, Kalimantan, Sulawesi, and Halmahera. This is a reminder of the fact that the Republic of Indonesia is the only tropical country in which the people have built a free and sovereign state by their own hands.

The golden star on the black background in the center of the shield represents the first priciple of Pancasila, belief in the One and Only God. The chain symbolizes successive human generations. The round links represent women and the square ones men. It is the symbol of the second principle, just and civilized humanity. The beringin, or banyan tree, symbolizes the third principle, the unity on Indonesia. The head of the banteng, or wild bull (Bos javanicus), which is black on a red background, represents the fourth principle, democracy guided by the inner wisdom in the unanimity arising out of deliberations amongst representatives. The fifth principle, social justice for the whole of the people of Indonesia, is symbolized by the gold and white paddy and cotton ears.

NATIONAL FLAG

The Indonesian national flag is called “Sang Saka Merah Putih”. As provided for in Articles 35 of the 1945 Constitution, the flag is made up of two colors, red on top of white. Its width is two-third of its length, or two meters by three meters. It is hoisted in front of the presidential palace, of government buildings and Indonesian missions abroad. The first flag was courageously flown amidst Japanese occupation forces on the day Indonesia’s independence was proclaimed. Since then it has been hoisted at Independence Day commemoration in front of the presidential palace in the capital city of Jakarta. This historical flag, or “bendera pusaka”, was flown for the last time on August 17th 1968. Since then it has been preserved and replaced by a replica woven of pure Indonesian silk.

NATIONAL ANTHEM

The national anthem is “Indonesia Raya”, which means "Great Indonesia". The song was composed in 1928. The colonial policy of the day was "divide and rule". It was a policy that deliberately aggravated language, ethnic, cultural, and religious differences amongst the people.

The birth of Indonesia Raya marked the beginning of Indonesian nationalist movements. The song first introduced by its composer, Wage Rudolf Supratman, at the second All Indonesian Youth Congress on October 28th 1928 in Batavia, now known as Jakarta. It was the moment when Indonesian youth of different ethnic, language, religious, and cultural backgrounds resolutely pledged allegiance to:

1. One native land, Indonesia;

2. One nation, the Indonesian nation;

3. One unifying language, the Indonesian language.

Soon the national song, which called for the unity of Indonesia, became popular. It was echoed at Indonesian political rallies, where people stood in solemn observance. The song seriously aroused national consciousness among the people throughout the archipelago Indonesia’s National Anthem.