Constitution of Indonesia

Indonesia's constitution, the Undang-Undang Dasar 1945, was adopted on 18 August 1945, the day after Indonesia declared independence from Dutch colonial rule, drafted by the Investigating Committee for Preparatory Work for Independence. It establishes Indonesia as a unitary presidential republic founded on Pancasila, the five state principles that remain the philosophical basis of Indonesian government. The 1945 constitution was briefly superseded by a federal constitution in 1949 and a provisional constitution in 1950 before being reinstated by presidential decree in 1959, and following the fall of President Suharto's New Order regime it was amended four times between 1999 and 2002 to strengthen human rights protections, sharpen the separation of powers, and introduce direct popular election of the president.