Indonesian National Party

Indonesian National Party
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Name	Indonesian National Party
Native name	Partai Nasional Indonesia
Abbreviation	PNI
Leader	Sukarno, Sartono, Ali Sastroamidjojo
Foundation	4 July 1927
Dissolution	10 January 1973
Headquarters	Jakarta
Ideology	Indonesian nationalism, Marhaenism, Secularism
Position	Big tent
International	None
Colours	Red
Country	Indonesia

Indonesian National Party. The Indonesian National Party, known as Partai Nasional Indonesia, was a major political force pivotal to the Indonesian National Awakening and the early decades of the Republic of Indonesia. Founded by future president Sukarno and other nationalist leaders, it championed an independent Indonesia free from Dutch colonial rule. It became the dominant party in the nation's first elections and remained a central political institution until its forced merger under Suharto's New Order regime.

History

The party was established on 4 July 1927 in Bandung by a group including Sukarno, Sartono, and Iskaq Tjokrohadisurjo, emerging from the Algemeene Studieclub. It quickly became the primary vehicle for secular Indonesian nationalism, leading to the arrest and exile of Sukarno by Dutch authorities in 1929. The party was officially dissolved by the colonial government in 1931. It was revived after the Proclamation of Indonesian Independence in 1945, becoming a key player during the Indonesian National Revolution against the Netherlands. In the 1955 Indonesian legislative election, it emerged as the largest party, and its leaders, including Ali Sastroamidjojo and Soekiman Wirjosandjojo, served as Prime Ministers. The party was gradually sidelined after the rise of Suharto and was ultimately dissolved in 1973, when it was merged into the Indonesian Democratic Party as part of the regime's Pancasila-based party simplification.

Ideology and political positions

The party's core ideology was Indonesian nationalism, synthesized by Sukarno into the concept of Marhaenism, which aimed to represent the plight of the indigenous common people. It was explicitly secular, positioning itself against political Islam, and advocated for a big tent approach to unite various nationalist streams. The party supported state-led economic development and Social justice, drawing from socialist principles without formal alignment with international Communism. Its platform emphasized national unity, anti-colonialism, and the implementation of Pancasila as the state philosophy, often placing it in opposition to both the Indonesian Communist Party and Masyumi Party.

Organizational structure

The party was organized with a central leadership board in Jakarta and branches extending down to the village level across Java, Sumatra, and other islands. Its mass organization, the Marhaenist People's Union, mobilized support from civil servants, educators, and the nominal Muslim community. Key factions within the party included intellectuals aligned with Sutan Sjahrir and more populist followers of Sukarno's Guided Democracy. After independence, it maintained strong ties with the armed forces and the state bureaucracy, particularly under the administrations of Ali Sastroamidjojo and Soekiman Wirjosandjojo. The party congress was its supreme decision-making body, though internal dynamics were often shaped by competition between Javanese and outer island leaders.

Electoral performance

The party achieved its greatest success in the 1955 Indonesian legislative election, the first national vote, where it won 22.3% of the vote and 57 seats in the People's Representative Council, making it the largest faction. It performed strongest in Java, particularly in Central Java and East Java, drawing support from the administrative class and rural populations. In the 1955 Constituent Assembly election, it secured 119 seats, reinforcing its pivotal role. Its support declined in the 1957 regional elections, facing stronger competition from the Indonesian Communist Party and Nahdlatul Ulama. Under the New Order, its performance was severely constrained, and it won only 20 seats in the 1971 election before its dissolution.

Legacy and influence

The party's legacy is deeply intertwined with the founding of modern Indonesia and the political thought of Sukarno, leaving a lasting impact on the nation's political culture. Its secular nationalist ideology provided a foundational counterweight to political Islam, influencing later parties like the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle led by Megawati Sukarnoputri. The party's dissolution marked the end of a significant political era, exemplifying the consolidation of power under Golkar and the New Order. Key figures from its history, such as Sartono and Ali Sastroamidjojo, are remembered as major statesmen, and its archives contribute to the study of the Indonesian National Revolution and Decolonization in Asia.

Category:Political parties in Indonesia Category:Defunct political parties in Indonesia Category:Nationalist parties in Asia