Page 116 - BUKU A CENTURY OF PARLIAMENTARY LIFE IN INDONESIA

EFFORT TO REUNITE THE REPUBLIC OF INDONESIA
(1950 – 1960)

On the other hand, although the PNI demanded the post of prime mi-
nister, Sartono himself rejected the possibility of him becoming prime
minister. Sartono’s failure to form a cabinet made President Soekarno
appoint Sidik Djojosukarto (PNI) and Sukiman Wirjosandjojo (Masyumi)
as cabinet formateurs. It took eight days to form Natsir’s cabinet replace-
ment, which was longer than the five days that President Soekarno gave.

Sukiman maintained that the position of prime
minister was Masyumi’s right. The PNI initially
refused, although it eventually accepted it on the
condition that the proposed prime minister was
no longer Mohammad Natsir. Sukiman agreed Under the election
with the proposal despite the opposition from system, which had
Natsir’s camp. Disputes escalated between the
two camps within Masyumi. On April 26, 1951, the been in effect until
Sukiman cabinet was officially formed with 20 the Hadikusumo
members. In mid-May 1951, Natsir and the Ma-
syumi Leadership Council supported the Suki- motion was
man cabinet. introduced, Masyumi

Despite being in the same coalition, Masyumi was able to control
and PNI had a turbulent relationship in the the majority of seats
parliament. After each got five cabinet seats,
relations between the two parties heated up in the DPRD.
due to a policy from the Minister of Home Affairs
Iskaq Tjokroadisurjo, who requested the DPRDs
to stop all their activities. This request provoked
Masyumi’s anger.

The anger was well-founded. After all, Masyumi, which had many affiliat-
ed organizations, had benefited from the DPRD’s election system (Article
4 PP No. 39 of 1950). Under the election system, which had been in ef-
fect until the Hadikusumo motion was introduced, Masyumi was able to
control the majority of seats in the DPRD. The conflict began with Iskaq
Tjokroadisurjo’s decision to appoint PNI members as governors in West
Java and Sulawesi, two Masyumi-controlled areas.

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