Page 13 - BUKU A CENTURY OF PARLIAMENTARY LIFE IN INDONESIA

A CENTURY OF PARLIAMENTARY LIFE
IN INDONESIA

A CENTURY OF PARLIAMENTARY LIFE The fourth book describes the end of the internal
IN INDONESIA political struggle and more stable social and poli-
tical life. The fifth book tells a maturing Indonesian
The pentalogy was structured to describe the political life in the reformation era.
Indonesian parliament experience, specifically
of championing the oppressed’s aspirations and In this book, every book in the pentalogy is sum-
attaining independence from foreign colonialism. marized as chapters. Meanwhile, subchapters in
The pentalogy discusses the connection of the the pentalogy are presented as subheadlines with
nation’s struggles seen through the eyes of public some parts merged as subsections.
figures, organizations, and movement activists in
parliament from the colonial era to independence Some details, such as arguments in the parlia-
and the periods afterward. The books ended by ment, are left out as readers will find the details
discussing the parliamentary life of today. in the pentalogy. The consideration to leave out
some details was also due to paging technica-
The writing of this book is part of an effort to faci- lities.Last but not least, this book is put together
litate the Indonesian people, especially its youth, to facilitate readers to understand the history of
to understand the long journey this nation went the Indonesian parliament. Readers might not
through to set up its political life through a res- find every detail in this book. Still, the hope is that
pectable parliament. Readers seeking historical this book can become a starting point to learn
details can still find them in the pentalogy. about the Indonesian parliament, the Indonesian
people’s identity, and Indonesia in general.
The layout of this book follows the pattern found
in the pentalogy. The first book tells how the In-
donesian people came up with a representative
body representing their interests as citizens in the
early 20th century before Indonesia became an
independent country.

That part shows the exchange between Indone-
sians, represented by their educated figures and
local leaders, to determine what it means to be
Indonesian. It also tells the struggle for a free co-
untry, beginning from Dutch colonialism, the arri-
val of the Japanese, and then to the early period of
Indonesia’s independence.

The second book deals with internal struggles
post-independence: arguments over the laws,
constitution, government system, to the model
for people representation. The third book shows
a quarreling nation trying to find independence.

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