THE LAW OF PRESIDENTIAL IMPEACHMENT IN INDONESIA

Dian Aries Mujiburohman; M. Syamsudin

doi:10.31436/iiumlj.v33i2.1063

Authors

Dian Aries Mujiburohman Faculty of Law, Universitas Islam Indonesia (UII), Yogyakarta
M. Syamsudin Faculty of Law, Universitas Islam Indonesia (UII), Yogyakarta

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.31436/iiumlj.v33i2.1063

Keywords:

Presidential Impeachment, Presidential Succession, Indonesian Constitutional Law, Law and Politics

Abstract

This study examines the legal framework and practical implementation of presidential impeachment in Indonesia through a normative legal lens. It traces the evolution of impeachment provisions across different constitutional regimes—from the original 1945 Constitution, the 1949 Federal Constitution, and the 1950 Provisional Constitution to the amended 1945 Constitution— and highlights persistent inconsistencies in regulation and enforcement. Formally intended as a constitutional mechanism to ensure accountability, historical practice reveals that political forces heavily influence its application. By analysing the premature terminations of four presidents—Soekarno, Soeharto, B.J. Habibie, and Abdurrahman Wahid—this study explores the tension between constitutional norms and political realities in Indonesia’s impeachment practice. A perspective from other countries, including cases from the United States, Brazil, and South Korea, is also introduced to situate the Indonesian experience in a broader context. The findings suggest that although the constitutional basis for impeachment has been strengthened, particularly after the adoption of Articles 7A and 7B in the Third Amendment of the 1945 Constitution, its application remains vulnerable to political manoeuvring. Rather than offering a definitive resolution, this study points out that there must be further reforms to ensure a more accountable and legally consistent process of presidential removal in Indonesia.

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