GBHN and Latent Tensions: Development Stability and Democracy

Akbar Mujadid Nusantara

Contributor

21 Dec 2025 · 04:28 21 December 2025 04:28 WIB 4 minutes reading time: 4 minutes 2 read

The discourse on reviving the GBHN arises from the need for stability and continuity of national development amidst democratic leadership transitions.

Ilustrasi Gambar (Source: Dibuat oleh Redaksi)

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Legal Literacy - GBHN (Garis-Garis Besar Haluan Negara, or Broad Guidelines of State Policy) is a state policy with the administration of the state in broad outlines made as a statement of the will of the people as a whole and integrated. GBHN is determined by the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) for a period of five years. The discourse on reviving the Broad Guidelines of State Policy (GBHN) reflects collective anxiety about the direction of national development, which is considered not fully sustainable.

Amidst the dynamics of electoral democracy and regular leadership changes, there is an assumption that Indonesia needs a long-term and binding state policy. However, behind this idea lies a latent tension between the need for development stability and commitment to the principles of constitutional democracy.

This tension is important to analyze, considering Indonesia's historical experience shows that development stability is often built by sacrificing political freedom and public participation. Therefore, the GBHN discourse cannot be separated from the fundamental question: to what extent can stability be guaranteed without eroding democracy?

GBHN as an Instrument of Development Stability

Conceptually, GBHN is designed as a general guideline for national development that functions to maintain policy continuity across government periods. In this framework, GBHN is seen as capable of overcoming policy fragmentation due to differences in political vision between Presidents. Development stability is understood as a prerequisite for economic growth, equitable welfare, and legal certainty.

This argument finds its relevance in development practices that are often short-term and electorally oriented. Without a clear state policy, development risks losing its strategic direction. This is where GBHN is positioned as a normative instrument that is believed to be able to reorganize the orientation of national development in a more planned and sustainable manner.

Dimensions of Democracy and People's Sovereignty

On the other hand, democracy demands that the direction of development be determined through inclusive political mechanisms based on people's sovereignty. After the amendment of the 1945 Constitution, the President obtained direct legitimacy from the people through general elections. Consequently, the President's vision and mission are a manifestation of the will of the people that cannot simply be limited by the mandate of other institutions.

Past experience shows that GBHN, when determined by the MPR as the highest state institution, makes the President a mandatory who is politically accountable to the MPR. This pattern has the potential to shift the locus of sovereignty from the people to the institution, which is contrary to the principles of modern democracy that place the people as the main source of legitimacy of power.