Changes in the Term of Office of Indonesian Presidents Since Independence: Who Was Indonesia's Longest-Serving President?

The issue of postponing the 2024 General Election (Pemilu) and extending the presidential term to three periods has sparked both pro and con arguments in society.

Based on the 1945 Constitution, as amended during the 1999 MPR General Session, Article 7 states that the President and Vice President hold office for five years, and may be re-elected for the same position only once. Therefore, according to the amended 1945 Constitution, a president can only serve for two terms.

Regulations regarding the presidential term have undergone several changes from the Old Order to the amendments. During the Old Order, the Provisional People's Consultative Assembly (MPRS) appointed Sukarno as President of Indonesia for life. This decision is stipulated in MPRS Decree No. III/MPRS/1963 concerning the Appointment of the Great Leader of the Indonesian Revolution, Bung Karno, as President for Life.

As is known, President Sukarno served as President of the Republic of Indonesia for 22 years, from August 18, 1945 to 1967.

In the New Order era, the presidential term reverted to the mandate of Article 7 of the 1945 Constitution. "The President and Vice President shall hold office for a period of five years, and may be re-elected," read Article 7 of the 1945 Constitution before its amendment.

Thus, the elected president served for five years, and could be extended every five years indefinitely.

This condition allowed President Soeharto to serve as President of Indonesia for more than 31 years, from 1967 until he stepped down on May 12, 1998, due to pressure from students and the public. Soeharto's presidency was the longest since Indonesia's independence in 1945.

The following is a list of Indonesian presidential terms:

1. Sukarno: 22 years (1945-1967)
2. Soeharto: 31 years (1967-1998)
3. B.J. Habibie: 1 year (1998-1999)
4. Abdurrahman Wahid: 2 years (1999-2001)
5. Megawati: 3 years (2001-2004)
6. Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono: 10 years (2004-2014)
7. [Joko Widodo](https://databoks.katadata.co.id/datapublish/2022/04/15/survei-charta-politika-434-masyarakat-ntt-cukup-puas-dengan-kinerja-pemerintah-jokowi-maruf): 8 years (2014-present)