Page 115 - BUKU A CENTURY OF PARLIAMENTARY LIFE IN INDONESIA

A CENTURY OF PARLIAMENTARY LIFE
IN INDONESIA

On March 20, 1951, opposition parties supporting the Hadikusumo Mo-
tion decided to walk out of the session. Some non-party lawmakers fol-
lowed the move. PIR then withdrew its ministers from the cabinet, Mi-
nister of Justice Wongsonegoro and Minister of Public Works Herman
Johannes. As a result, the cabinet could no longer carry out its program.

On March 21, 1951, Natsir decided to return his
mandate to President Soekarno. This marked the
end of Natsir’s term of office after approximately
On April 26, 1951, six months. Soon after, President Soekarno ap-

the Sukiman cabinet pointed Mr. Sartono, a senior PNI figure, to be-
come a cabinet formateur until a new cabinet
was officially formed was finally formed.
with 20 members. In The downfall of Natsir’s cabinet was going to hap-

mid-May 1951, Natsir pen sooner or later. Since the beginning, Natsir’s

and the Masyumi cabinet faced many challenges from the parlia-
ment due to the failure to form the Masyumi-PNI
Leadership Council coalition cabinet. Immediately, Mr. Sartono, who

supported the Sukiman Sukarno appointed, tried to persuade Masyumi
to build a coalition cabinet.
cabinet.

However, talks between the PNI and Masyumi
did not reach a meaningful agreement. Sartono
failed to attract Masyumi to the coalition cabinet
he tried to build.

According to Sartono, the failure was caused by four things. First, Ma-
syumi’s disapproval of the cabinet program offered by Sartono in terms
of foreign policy with the Netherlands. Second, Masyumi wished that
the DPRD formed through PP No. 39 of 1950 be replaced with the lat-
est regulations without freezing the DPRDs. Third, Masyumi demanded
the post of Prime Minister, something the PNI could not provide. Fourth,
Masyumi also demanded the Minister of Foreign Affairs position, which
the PNI also expected.

108