Ketatanegaraan dan Politik Luar Negeri Indonesia pada Masa Kabinet Djuanda

Abstract

This article explores the political structure and foreign relations of Indonesia during the tenure of the Djuanda Cabinet (1957–1959), the last cabinet under the parliamentary system within the era of Liberal Democracy. Employing a qualitative descriptive approach and drawing on literature review, the study investigates the political instability, regional dissent, and institutional frameworks that shaped this period. The Djuanda Cabinet confronted serious issues such as regional uprisings (notably PRRI and Permesta), the introduction of President Sukarno’s concept of Guided Democracy, and internal party disputes. One of its most significant contributions was the 1957 Djuanda Declaration, which asserted Indonesia’s maritime boundaries as 12 nautical miles from the outermost islands, thus transforming the archipelago into a unified national territory. Despite facing resistance from Western powers, this declaration became the legal basis for Indonesia’s maritime claims and was later legitimized through the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). Ultimately, the Djuanda Cabinet was instrumental in redefining Indonesia’s national borders and asserting its sovereignty at sea, while also signaling the close of the nation’s experiment with parliamentary democracy.