Editing Sudharmono (section)

== Vice presidency ==
=== Nomination ===
[[File:Sudharmono2.jpg|thumb|A different version of his official portrait as vice president]]
As the [[People's Consultative Assembly]] (MPR) convened for its 1988 [[People's Consultative Assembly#1988 General Session|General Session]], it was widely believed by many that the aging Suharto would be elected to his fifth and last term as president. As such, the office of vice president became a crucial position.{{sfn|Vatikiotis|1993| p = 83}} Suharto then created a nine-person commission to select a name for the vice presidency. Figures in the commission included [[Akbar Tandjung]] and Sarwono Kusumaatmadja.{{sfn|Wahyono|2018}} As 1988 began, Suharto began to show signs that he wanted Sudharmono to become his vice president, although Suharto never mentioned Sudharmono by name.{{sfn|Vatikiotis|1993| p = 83}} However, the possibility of Sudharmono becoming vice president displeased many in the [[Indonesian National Armed Forces|Armed Forces]] (ABRI). Although Sudharmono himself was a soldier and had ended his career with the rank of [[Lieutenant General]], he was disliked by many in the military because he had spent much of his career behind the desk instead of leading troops on the ground.{{sfn|Harahap|2020}}

Suharto was aware of this and, before the ABRI could do anything, placed ABRI commander [[Leonardus Benjamin Moerdani|Benny Moerdani]] as Minister of Defense and Security, a position which had no direct line of command to the troops. Replacing him with [[Try Sutrisno]], who had been Suharto's adjutant.{{sfn|Elson|2001| p = 258}} When the nomination was finally taken up through the official channels within [[Golkar]], the [[Bureaucrats]] and Functional factions unanimously agreed to nominate Sudharmono as vice president. While the ABRI faction's nomination was delayed, Benny Moerdani continued to procrastinate by claiming that he had not discussed the vice-presidential nomination yet.{{sfn|MIS|1997}} Rumors that Sudharmono was a communist were spread by ABRI, accusing him of being a member of Pesindo (Pemuda Sosialis Indonesia), a youth socialist organization.{{sfn|Matanasi|2018}}{{sfn|Matanasi|2019}}{{sfn|Elson|2001| pp = 259-260}}

At the General Session itself, which lasted from 1–11 March 1988, controversy continued to dog Sudharmono's nomination as vice president. First, [[Brigadier General]] Ibrahim Saleh interrupted the session and launched a scathing attack against Sudharmono before he was taken down from the podium by other MPR members.{{sfn|Yulianto|2003| p = 261}} Then, [[Sarwo Edhie Wibowo]], a general who had helped Suharto get to power in the mid-1960s resigned from both his MPR and [[People's Representative Council]] (DPR) seat in protest. Finally, [[United Development Party]] Chairman, [[Jailani Naro]] nominated himself as vice president, presumably with the private backing of ABRI, who in public supported Sudharmono's nomination; ABRI's support was likely only in opposition to Sudharmono.{{sfn|Yulianto|2003| pp = 261-262}} The chaos of the session resulted in the intervention by Suharto. He cited a decision that the MPR made in 1973 that one of the criteria for a vice president was that he should be able to work with the President. Suharto also conducted discussions with Naro and convinced him to withdraw the nomination. With Naro out of the way, Sudharmono was elected vice president.{{sfn|Wahyono|2018}}{{sfn|Gautama|2021}}

=== Tenure ===
As vice president, Sudharmono was reported to be extremely active in governing.{{sfn|Bach|2019}} He issued a policy to form Tromol Pos 5000 as a means of monitoring the community and he began to consolidate politics by visiting the provinces, departments (ministries), State Offices, and other institutions. He also held a Supervision Coordination Meeting annually.{{sfn|Harahap|2020}} Meanwhile, ABRI continued to show their displeasure at Sudharmono's election as vice president. At the Golkar National Conference in 1988, which occurred from 20–25 October 1988, to elect a new chairman, ABRI got their revenge against Sudharmono when they secured the election of [[Wahono]] as chairman.{{sfn|Effendy|Thohari|Novianto|Nubowo|2012| p = 265}} The election of Wahono as chairman was the first time in which ABRI demonstrated their political power against Suharto, and resulted in the comeback of ABRI into the Golkar political machine, as the civil and bureaucratic wing of the party (the main supporters of Sudharmono) floundered.{{sfn|Effendy|Thohari|Novianto|Nubowo|2012| p = 266}}

Ahead of the MPR's 1993 [[People's Consultative Assembly#1988 General Session|General Session]], before any other maneuver by any other faction within the MPR, ABRI had already made its move. Two weeks before the session, the chairman of the ABRI faction of Golkar, Harsudiono Hartas, announced that ABRI had nominated [[Try Sutrisno]] as vice president. This nomination blindsided [[Suharto]], Sudharmono, and even [[Try Sutrisno]] himself, who was not notified of his nomination.{{sfn|Wahyono|2018}} In theory, MPR faction members were allowed to nominate their candidates for vice president. But in practice, there was an unwritten rule, where factions had to wait for the president to nominate his chosen candidate.{{sfn|Lane|1993}}

Members from the [[United Development Party]] (PPP) and the [[Indonesian Democratic Party]] (PDI) quickly approved of Try's nomination, while [[Golkar]] struggled to tell its members that Golkar had not nominated Try as vice president. Suharto was furious that ABRI had pre-empted him, but did not want an open dispute with its delegation in the assembly. This led to an uneasy truce, where Suharto accepted Try as vice president. It has been speculated that, if Try Sutrisno hadn't been nominated, then Suharto would've chosen either Sudharmono or [[B. J. Habibie]] as vice president.{{sfn|Lane|1993}}