The Practice of Presidential Succession in Indonesia

Abstract

This study analyzed Article 8 of the 1945 Constitution of the Republic of Indonesia on the presidential succession in Indonesia. The 1945 Constitution clearly regulates presidential and vice-presidential election period for once in five years. However, the practice of presidential succession can be unpredictable. This article aims to elaborate the management of presidential succession in Indonesia. The study in this article employed normative research method by applying a statute approach. The finding of the study proves that based on Article 8 of the 1945 Constitution; there are four circumstances of presidential substitutions. They are decease, resignation, dismissal, and inability to carry out duties. However, in the actual practices that have been happened several times, the presidential successions in Indonesia were not always caused by the four conditions. The examples are the successions of Soekarno, Soeharto, and Abdurrahman Wahid. The three Presidents were dismissed without transparent legal reasons. Their dismissals were based merely on political decisions, not legal reasons. In addition, political transitions, internal conflicts, and economic crises contributed to the presidential successions in Indonesia.