President Sukarno was the first President of Indonesia. He helped the country win its independence from the Netherlands and was President from 1945 to 1967.

SUKARNO

Sukarno (born Kusno Sosrodihardjo) became a leader of a pro-independence party, Partai Nasional Indonesia, when it was founded in 1927.

In September 1944, with the war going badly for the Japanese, the Japansese Prime Minister promised independence for Indonesia. This announcement was perhaps a reward for Sukarno's apparent collaboration with the Japanese during World War II.

Sukarno declared the independence of the Republic of Indonesia on 17 August 1945.

Sukarno's government was not universally accepted in Indonesia. Indeed, many factions and regions attempted to separate themselves from his government, and there were several internal conflicts even during the period of armed insurgency against the Dutch.

Claiming Western-style democracy was unsuitable for Indonesia, he called for a system of "guided democracy" based on what he called traditional Indonesian principles. The Indonesian way of deciding important questions, he argued, was by way of prolonged deliberation designed to achieve a consensus.

Sukarno was forced out of power in 1967 by one of his generals, Suharto.

6 June 1901 to 21 June 1970