Indonesia: Indonesia Government Profile

President: Joko Widodo

Joko Widodo won a closely fought presidential election in July 2014 on promises to break with the authoritarian past, improve welfare for the poor and take on corruption.

The election commission declared the Jakarta governor the winner with 53% of the vote.

His rival, former army general Prabowo Subianto, who won 47%, alleged widespread fraud and said he would challenge the result in court.

Mr Widodo is seen by many as relatively untainted by the county's endemic corruption and in touch with ordinary Indonesians as a result of his humble background.

Known as "Jokowi", the former furniture maker is especially popular with the urban and rural young.

His campaign platform called for "mind-set revolution" to end the corruption, nepotism and intolerance Mr Widodo believes flourished during the 31-year-long dictatorship of former President Suharto.

He also promised a strong focus on education and modern technology, including e-governance.

Critics said he lacked political experience and would struggle to push through his agenda, as his Indonesian Democratic Party-Struggle (PDI-P), has only 37% of seats in parliament.

Opponents claimed he would be the puppet of the PDI-P's veteran leader, Megawati Sukarnoputri, a former president and daughter of Indonesia's independence leader, Sukarno. Mr Widodo's allies insist he will be his own man.

Born in 1961 in Solo as the son of a wood-seller, Mr Widodo was elected mayor of Solo - a city in the centre of Java - in 2005 and gained popularity with policies aimed at boosting small and local businesses.

Mr Widodo then went on to run for the position of governor of Jakarta, winning an emphatic victory in 2012.

Government

Government Type: Republic

Indonesia is a republic based on the 1945 constitution providing for a separation of executive, legislative, and judicial power. Substantial restructuring has occurred since President Suharto's resignation in 1998 and the short, transitional Habibie administration in 1998 and 1999. The Habibie government established political reform legislation that formally set up new rules for the electoral system, the House of Representatives (DPR), the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR), and political parties without changing the 1945 Indonesian constitution. After these reforms, the constitution now limits the president to two terms in office.

Indonesia adopted a bicameral legislative system following the establishment of the DPD (Regional Representatives Council), which was first elected in 2004. The DPD is composed of four representatives from each of Indonesia’s 33 provinces. Although it can make proposals and submit opinions on legislative matters concerning the regions, it does not have the power to create legislation. The MPR consists of both the DPD and the DPR. The MPR has the power to inaugurate and to impeach the president (upon the recommendation of the DPR). The current Speaker of the MPR is Taufik Kiemas (from the opposition PDI-P Party) and the Speaker of the DPR is Marzuki Alie (from the ruling Democrat Party). These speakers and four deputy speakers for the DPR and MPR took up their positions on October 5, 2009. The largest party in the DPR, now President Yudhoyono’s Partai Demokrat, filled the influential DPR speaker position.

The president, elected for a 5-year term, is the top government and political figure. The president and the vice president were elected by popular vote for the first time on September 20, 2004. Previously, the MPR selected Indonesia's president. In 1999, the MPR selected Abdurrahman Wahid, also known as Gus Dur, as the fourth President. The MPR removed Gus Dur in July 2001, immediately appointing then-Vice President Megawati Sukarnoputri as the fifth President. In 2004, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono was directly elected to succeed Megawati. He was re-elected in 2009.

The president, assisted by an appointed cabinet, has the authority to conduct the administration of the government.

Capital: Jakarta - 9.121 million (2009)

Other major cities: Surabaya 2.509 million; Bandung 2.412 million; Medan 2.131 million; Semarang 1.296 million (2009)

Administration: Indonesia has 30 provinces, 2 special regions (Aceh and Yogyakarta), and 1 special capital city district (Jakarta Raya). The provinces are: Bali, Banten, Bengkulu, Gorontalo, Jambi, Jawa Barat, Jawa Tengah, [Jawa Timur], Kalimantan Barat, Kalimantan Selatan, Kalimantan Tengah, Kalimantan Timur, Kepulauan Bangka Belitung, Kepulauan Riau, Lampung, Maluku, Maluku Utara, Nusa Tenggara Barat, Nusa Tenggara Timur, Papua, Papua Barat, Riau, Sulawesi Barat, Sulawesi Selatan, Sulawesi Tengah, Sulawesi Tenggara, Sulawesi Utara, Sumatera Barat, Sumatera Selatan, and Sumatera Utara.

Following the implementation of decentralization beginning on 1 January 2001, the 465 regencies and municipalities have become the key administrative units responsible for providing most government services.

Independence Date: 17 August 1945 (declared); 27 December 1949 (recognized by the Netherlands)

Legal System: Based on Roman-Dutch law, substantially modified by indigenous concepts and by new criminal procedures and election codes; has not accepted compulsory International Court of Justice jurisdiction