Political Setting:

Indonesia

Reported by:

Dreamy A. Bernas

(BSEd 3-A, Group 4)

Political Setting:

Indonesia

• Indonesia is a constitutionalrepublic with an electedpresident, an elected legislature,and an appointed judiciary. Thegovernment operates under a1945 constitution, which wasreplaced in 1950 but then

Political Setting:

Indonesia

reinstated in 1959. The 1945constitution is based on thedoctrine of Pancasila (Sanskritfor “five principles”), defined inthe constitution as “a belief inthe one supreme god; just and

Political Setting:

Indonesia

civilized humanity; the unity ofIndonesia; democracy guided bythe inner wisdom ofdeliberations amongrepresentatives; social justice forall the Indonesian people.”

Political Setting:

Indonesia

A. ExecutiveUnder the 1945 constitution thepresident is both head ofgovernment and head of state.The president is elected to serve afive-year term and may bereelected once. The constitutiongrants the president wide powers,

Political Setting:

Indonesia

including the power to rule bydecree in emergencies. However,the president may not freeze ordissolve the legislature. Thepresident is responsible forappointing a cabinet to carry outthe administrative duties of the

Political Setting:

Indonesia

government. Cabinet ministersare typically chosen from themilitary or the ministries.

Political Setting:

Indonesia

B. Legislature

The national legislature is thePeople’s Consultative Assembly(Majelis PermusyawaratanRakyat, or MPR). The MPR hastwo chambers: the House of

Political Setting:

Indonesia

Representatives (DewanPerwakilan Rakyat, or DPR) andand the RegionalRepresentatives Council (DewanPerwakilan Daerah, or DPD).

Political Setting:

Indonesia

The members of both chambersare directly elected to serve five-year terms. The DPR has 550members. The number ofmembers in the DPD may notexceed one-third the number inthe DPR; as of 2004, the DPD had

Political Setting:

Indonesia

128 members. Each province hasan equal number ofrepresentatives in the DPD. Theconstitutional amendments thatwent into effect in 2004 createdthe DPD as a new chamberrepresenting Indonesia’s

Political Setting:

Indonesia

provinces. Previously, the MPRwas a unicameral body thatincluded 200 membersappointed by the president torepresent regional and variousother interests, including thecountry’s armed forces.

Political Setting:

Indonesia

The DPR and DPD each meet atleast once a year. The DPR is themore powerful chamber. Itapproves all laws and has theright to submit draft bills forapproval by the president.

Political Setting:

Indonesia

The authority of the DPD islimited to regional issues. It maypropose to the DPR bills relatingto the relationship betweennational and regionalgovernment.

Political Setting:

Indonesia

The two chambers convenetogether as the MPR at leastonce every five years todetermine the broad guidelinesof government policy. The MPRalso inaugurates the presidentand vice president, who are

Political Setting:

Indonesia

responsible for carrying out thatpolicy. (Prior to the 2004elections, the MPR had alsoappointed the president and vicepresident.) The MPR has thepower to impeach the president.

Political Setting:

Indonesia

C. Judiciary

The judiciary is made up of manydistrict courts, several courts ofappeals, and the Supreme Court(Mahkamah Agung), which is thefinal court of appeal and sits inJakarta. The Supreme Court was

Political Setting:

Indonesia

restructured in 1968 to conformwith the 1945 constitution. It ismade up of 51 members,nominated by the DPR andappointed by the president.Appeals are heard by high courtslocated in 14 major cities.

Political Setting:

Indonesia

Below the appellate courts arethe district courts that try civiland criminal cases.Criminal cases are tried under aunified code, but civil cases aretried under an uncodified,customary law known as adat.

Political Setting:

Indonesia

Under adat law, crimes againstindividuals are seen as crimesagainst the whole community.Westerners and Asians of foreignorigin or ancestry are tried undera system based on continentalEuropean civil codes.

Political Setting:

Indonesia

D. Local Government

For purposes of localgovernment, Indonesia is dividedinto 32 provinces. Mostprovinces are headed bygovernors who are appointed bythe president with the advice of

Political Setting:

Indonesia

the minister for home affairs andthe provincial parliaments.However, the province of Acehdirectly elects its governor anddeputy governor under theprovisions of a peace agreementreached in 2005 between Aceh

.

Political Setting:

Indonesia

secessionists and the Indonesiangovernment. Provinces arefurther divided into regencies(kabupaten) and cities(kotamadya), each having amayor and locally electedlegislature.

Political Setting:

Indonesia

Source:

Microsoft ® Encarta ® 2009. © 1993-2008 Microsoft

Corporation. All rights reserved.

Political Setting:

Indonesia

Terima Kasih!!!

Political Setting

as we

Understanding

Political-Security

Communityfor

establish a

Republic of the Philippines

CAPIZ STATE UNIVERSITY

Dumarao Satellite College, Dumarao, Capiz

Theme: “Understanding Better the Political, Economic & Socio-Cultural

Settings of Southeast Asian Nations forPeace, Prosperity & People”

May 25, 2015 (8:00-11:30 am)

Campus Library