Throughout Indonesian history, the title of First Lady ( id, Ibu Negara) or, in an instance, First Gentleman ( id, Bapak Negara) has been used to refer to the wife or husband of the president of Indonesia. While the

Constitution of Indonesia The 1945 State Constitution of the Republic of Indonesia ( id, Undang-Undang Dasar Negara Republik Indonesia Tahun 1945, commonly abbreviated as ''UUD 1945'' or ''UUD '45'') is the supreme law and basis for all laws of Indonesia. The constitu ...

does not mention anything about the spouses of the president, it continues to hold significant influence in the Indonesian society. The current holder of the title is Iriana Joko Widodo, wife of current president

Joko Widodo Joko Widodo (; born 21 June 1961), popularly known as Jokowi, is an Indonesian politician and businessman who is the 7th and current president of Indonesia. Elected in July 2014, he was the first Indonesian president not to come from an elite ...

Taufiq Kiemas Taufiq is a given name. Notable people with the name include: * Taufiq Ahmed (East Pakistan cricketer) * Taufiq Ahmed (Pakistan Air Force cricketer) * Taufiq Ghani (born 1989), Singaporean football player * Taufiq Ismail (born 1935), Indonesian poe ...

, husband of President

Megawati Sukarnoputri Diah Permata Megawati Setiawati Sukarnoputri (; born 23 January 1947) is an Indonesian politician who served as the fifth president of Indonesia from 2001 to 2004. She previously served as the eighth Vice President of Indonesia, vice president f ...

, to date is the only first gentleman.

History

It is unclear when the role of ''Ibu Negara'' first developed in the Indonesian constitutional conventions.

Sukarno Sukarno). (; born Koesno Sosrodihardjo, ; 6 June 1901 – 21 June 1970) was an Indonesian statesman, orator, revolutionary, and nationalist who was the first president of Indonesia, serving from 1945 to 1967. Sukarno was the leader of ...

, the first president, was married to his third wife Fatmawati when he became president in August 1945. Sukarno then married Hartini in July 1953 on Fatmawati's permission. Hartini lived in Istana Bogor and also accompanied the president to official state duties and visit abroad.Sitompul, Martin
''Hartini, First Lady yang Tak Diakui'' ("Hartini, the Unrecognized First Lady")
''Historia.id'', 20 April 2018. Accessed 1 June 2019. Throughout his presidency, Sukarno married another five women, but Fatmawati remained the first lady. Siti Hartinah, Soeharto's wife, occupied the role of ''Ibu Negara'' until her death in April 1996. Her eldest daughter, Siti Hardiyanti Rukmana ("Tutut") acted on behalf of her mother throughout the remainder of her father's presidency until 1998. From March to May 1998, she also served as the minister of social affairs.

History

List of title holders

References

See also