General Elections Institution


The General Elections Institution was the body that organises elections in Indonesia during the New Order. Its responsibilities include deciding which parties can contest elections, organising the voting and announcing the results and seats won in the various branches of the government. The institution is under the Ministry of Home Affairs

History

After the rise of Suharto as the president of Indonesia in 1967, Suharto began to prepare for elections in order to legitimize his seat. The first general elections in the New Order was prepared to be held in 1971 with Law Number 15 of 1969. The law stipulates that the president would form the General Elections Institution for the upcoming election. Suharto would later form the General Elections Institution by the Presidential Decree Number 3 of 1970.
According to the law, the General Elections Institution was a permanent institution with three elements, the executive council, the advisory council, and the secretariat. The president appoint the members of the institution with the Presidential Decree Number 7/M of 1970. The first chairman of LPU was Amir Machmud, who was the Minister of Home Affairs at that time. The Minister of Home Affairs would later hold the position for the chairman of LPU until 1998, when the organization was dissolved and replaced with General Elections Commission.

Seat of the General Elections Institution

The Indonesian General Institution is located in a building on Jalan Imam Bonjol 29. The building, designed by architect A.W. Gmelig Meyling, was completed in 1955 and was among the first to be built in the post-war architecture style in Indonesia. It was described as "impressive" at its completion. The building was originally used for the office of the National Horticulture Centre of the Ministry of Agriculture.

Organization

Executive Council

According to the Government Regulations Number 35 of 1985, the seats of the executive council was filled with ministerial posts. The chairman of the council was seated by the Minister of Home Affairs, while the vice chairman post was seated by the Minister of Information and the Minister of Justice.

List of chairmen

Even though the Minister of Home Affairs concurrently chaired the position of the Chairman of the General Elections Institution, there were no elections held during the ad interim term of Sudharmono, from 1982 until 1983.
NamePhotoPeriodVice ChairmanGeneral SecretaryElections
Amirmachmud1970–1982As the Minister of Information:
Budiardjo
Mashuri Saleh
Sudharmono
Ali Murtopo
As the Minister of Justice:
Oemar Seno Adji
Mochtar Kusumaatmadja
Mudjono
Ali Said 		1971
Amirmachmud1970–1982As the Minister of Information:
Budiardjo
Mashuri Saleh
Sudharmono
Ali Murtopo
As the Minister of Justice:
Oemar Seno Adji
Mochtar Kusumaatmadja
Mudjono
Ali Said 		1977
Amirmachmud1970–1982As the Minister of Information:
Budiardjo
Mashuri Saleh
Sudharmono
Ali Murtopo
As the Minister of Justice:
Oemar Seno Adji
Mochtar Kusumaatmadja
Mudjono
Ali Said 		Soeprapto 1982
Sudharmono1982–1983As the Minister of Information:
Ali Murtopo
As the Minister of Justice:
Ali Said 		-
Soepardjo Rustam1983–1988As the Minister of Information:
Harmoko
As the Minister of Justice:
Ali Said
Ismail Saleh 		Aswismarmo1987
Rudini1988–1993As the Minister of Information:
Harmoko
As the Minister of Justice:
Ismail Saleh 		Nugroho Hardjo Wiyoto1992
Yogie Suardi Memet1993–1998As the Minister of Information:
Harmoko
R. Hartono
As the Minister of Justice:
Oetojo Oesman 		Suryatna Soebrata1997