Harmoko

Harmoko
Official portrait, 1992
9th Speaker of the People's Consultative Assembly
In office 1 October 1997 – 30 September 1999
President	Suharto B. J. Habibie
Preceded by	Wahono
Succeeded by	Amien Rais
12th Speaker of the People's Representative Council
In office 1 October 1997 – 30 September 1999
President	Suharto B. J. Habibie
Preceded by	Wahono
Succeeded by	Akbar Tandjung
6th General Chairman of Golkar
In office 24 October 1993 – 11 July 1998
Preceded by	Wahono
Succeeded by	Akbar Tandjung
22nd Minister of Information
In office 19 March 1983 – 16 March 1997
President	Suharto
Preceded by	Ali Murtopo
Succeeded by	R. Hartono
Personal details
Born	(1939-02-07)7 February 1939 Patianrowo, Nganjuk, Oost-Java, Dutch East Indies
Died	4 July 2021(2021-07-04) (aged 82) Jakarta, Indonesia
Cause of death	COVID-19
Resting place	Kalibata Heroes Cemetery
Political party	Independent
Other political affiliations	Golkar (1977–2007) PKN (2007–2008)
Spouse	Sri Romadhiyati ​ ​ (m. 1972; died 2021)​
Occupation	Politician journalist

Harmoko^[1] (7 February 1939 – 4 July 2021), colloquially referred to as Bung Harmoko, was an Indonesian politician and journalist who was active during the New Order era. He served as the Speaker of the People's Representative Council from 1997 until 1999, and was a factor in president Suharto's resignation during the widespread student demonstrations which occurred at the end of the New Order.

Born from humble origins in East Java, on 7 February 1939, Harmoko graduated from journalistic school, and became a journalist. He was active during the Guided Democracy and New Order regimes, working in a number of different newspapers, including Merdeka, Merdiko, and Harian Mimbar Kita. In 1970, he founded his own newspaper, the Pos Kota in Jakarta. In 1970, he was elected as the General Chairperson of the Indonesian Journalists Association (PWI) branch in Jakarta, and two years later, he was elected as the General Chairperson of the entire PWI.

In 1977, Harmoko was elected a member of the People's Representative Council, as a member of the ruling Golkar organization. In 1983, he was appointed Minister of Information, likely due to his background in journalism. His skill at maintaining the New Order's image and Suharto's appearance led to him being dubbed the 'influencer-in-chief'. In 1993, Harmoko was elected as the Chairman of Golkar, becoming the first civilian to hold the post. In June 1997, he was appointed state minister for special affairs, a post he held for only three months as in October 1997, he was chosen to serve as the Speaker of the People's Consultative Assembly and People's Representative Council.

Despite years of loyalty to President Suharto, following widespread student demonstrations calling for a change of government, Harmoko caused great surprise at a press conference by asking the president to step down within five days. Likely due to the fact that he may have been upset by his dismissal as information minister, his dismissal as a possible vice presidential candidate, and his house being burned down by protesters. Suharto saw Harmoko's request as a betrayal, while Tadjus Sobirin, the former chairman of Golkar's Jakarta branch called Harmoko "Brutus" during a leadership meeting of the party, a reference to Roman senator Marcus Junius Brutus, who assassinated his great-uncle Julius Caesar. Harmoko died on 4 July 2021 at the Gatot Soebroto Army Hospital due to COVID-19, and was buried the following day at Kalibata Heroes Cemetery.