The New Order
It was from this position that Sudharmono began his rise. In October 1965, Major General Suharto was appointed Army Commander and joined KOTI as its Chief of Staff. Suharto formed a relationship with Sudharmono during these tense times in Indonesian history and it was evident that Sudharmono earned Suharto's trust. On 11 March 1966, when Suharto received the Emergency Powers from Sukarno, Sudharmono was the one who reproduced copies of the letter to be distributed to other Military Officers. The next day, on 12 March 1966, Sudharmono was also the one to write the decree banning PKI.
With Suharto's rise to power, KOTI was disbanded but Sudharmono's administrative skills and the trust that he had earned from Suharto ensured him a position in Suharto's administration. When Suharto became President in 1968, Sudharmono was named Cabinet Secretary as well as Chairman of the Economic Stability Council. In 1970, Sudharmono was moved from the position of Cabinet Secretary to the State Secretary, a position which allowed him to assist Suharto in the day-to-day running of the Government. Whilst State Secretary, Sudharmono also covered for other Ministers when they are unable to perform their duties; with short stints as Interim Information Minister and Interim Home Affairs Minister as well as helping to produce Suharto's accountability speech before the People Consultative Assembly (MPR) General Session.
In 1980, Sudharmono's position as State Secretary received a significant boost through a Presidential Decision which gave the State Secretary the power to supervise Government purchases exceeding 500 Million Rupiahs.
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