Sudharmono

                                                              Sudharmono
                                                      5th Vice President of Indonesia
                                           In office 11 March 1988 – 11 March 1993


President Suharto
Preceded by Umar Wirahadikusumah
Succeeded by Try Sutrisno


Personal Details 
Birth date           12 March 1927
Birth place          Gresik, East Java, Indonesia
Died                   25 January 2006 (aged 78) Jakarta, Indonesia
Political party     Golongan Karya
Spouse(s)           Emma Norma
Profession          Military
Religion              Islam


Biography
Sudharmono was born on 12 March 1927 in Gresik, East Java. He lost both his parents in the space of six months when he was only three. Sudharmono then went to live with his uncle, a scribe serving in the Regency of Jombang, East Java. As he grew up however, he would move around a lot, living with family from both his father's and his mother's side. Sudharmono had just completed Junior High School when Indonesia proclaimed its independence from the Netherlands in 1945. After deciding to drop out from any further education, Sudharmono assisted in collecting weapons from the Japanese troops in preparation of the formation of an Indonesian Army. As a result of this, he became the Commander of the Ronggolawe Division, a position which he held throughout the course of the Indonesian War of Independence against the returning Dutch troops.

Career 
After the Dutch retreated in 1949, Sudharmono completed his Secondary Education before going to Jakarta in 1952 to join the Military Law Academy. He completed the course in 1956 before serving in Medan, North Sumatra as an Army Attorney from 1957-1961. In 1962, Sudharmono received his degree in law after completing a course at Military Law University. After this, Sudharmono was appointed Chairman of the Central Government Personnel Orders Unit and provided administrative assistance to the Government.

Chairman of Golkar 
By the 1980s, Sudharmono had proved his loyalty to Suharto and had also shown that he does not have any ambitions. At the 1983 Golkar Congress, with Suharto's support, Sudharmono was elected as the Chairman of Golkar.


Vice Presidency 
Nomination controversy As the MPR convened for its 1988 General Session, it was widely believed by many that Suharto (who was 67 years old) would be elected to his fifth and last term as President. With that in mind, the Vice Presidency became a crucial position. As 1988 began, Suharto began to show signs that he wanted Sudharmono to become his Vice President. Although never mentioning Sudharmono by name, Suharto said that he wanted his Vice President to enjoy the support of a large socio-political force.


Post Vice Presidency 
In 1997, Sudharmono released his autobiography, Pengalaman Dalam Masa Pengabdian (Experiences During Time of Service). Concurrently, a book was also released called Kesan dan Kenangan dari Teman: 70 Tahun H. Sudharmono SH (Impressions and Memories from Colleagues: 70 Years of Sudharmono) which talked about Sudharmono from the point of view of those who he had worked it. Because the release of these books happened a year before the 1998 MPR General Session, there were rumors that Sudharmono was going to make a political comeback and aim for the Vice Presidency once again. In May 1998, on the eve of Suharto's fall, Sudharmono, together with former vice presidents Umar Wirahadikusumah and Try Sutrisno visited Suharto at his residence to discuss possible options. Sudharmono also continued to manage Suharto's Foundations (Yayasan).

Death Sudharmono
Died on 25 January 2006 due to lung failure.