Front Nasional | |
.png) Soekarno appointing the Central Board of the National Front (1960) | |
| Successor | Pancasila Front |
|---|---|
| Formation | December 31, 1959; 65 years ago (1959-12-31) |
| Dissolved | September 27, 1966; 59 years ago (1966-09-27) |
| Type | State mass organization |
| Location | |
| Leader | Sukarno |
TheNational Front (Indonesian:Front Nasional) was a state-led mass organization inIndonesia during theGuided Democracy era (1959 - 1966) underPresident Sukarno. Formally established on December 31, 1959, based on President Regulation No. 13 of 1959,[1] the National Front's stated tasks were "gathering and uniting revolutionary forces within society to complete the National Revolution" and "establishing close cooperation with the government and other state institutions".[2][3] In practice, the National Front functioned as an instrument to implement Sukarno's ideas of Guided Democracy and rallied the population around national causes such as the "return ofWest Irian (now Papua) to the territorial sovereignty of the Republic of Indonesia."[4] It was led by a Central Board, which was chaired by President Sukarno.[3]
After West Irian was successfully integrated into Indonesia in 1963, the National Front's focus shifted to aligning the population with Sukarno's broader geopolitical and ideological goals. TheCommunist Party of Indonesia (PKI) and the military competed for influence within the organization.[4] Over time, the PKI asserted control and dominated the National Front, exploiting its platform to strengthen its own political influence.[5]
The National Front was dissolved on September 27, 1966, through Presidential Decree No. 214 of 1966, during thetransition to the New Order.[6][1] It was succeeded by thePancasila Front, which was actively backed by the military, and helped in eradicating remnants of the PKI across Jakarta and the rest of Indonesia.[5]
The ideology of the National Front was namedUSDEK, which stood for:[4]