Page 121 - BUKU A CENTURY OF PARLIAMENTARY LIFE IN INDONESIA

A CENTURY OF PARLIAMENTARY LIFE
IN INDONESIA

After the Sukiman Cabinet ended, the govern-
ment was continued by the Wilopo Cabinet. The
Wilopo Cabinet was a crucial period in Indone-
The restructuring sia’s political history and a turning point in Indo-
nesia’s governance in the post-revolutionary pe-
of the armed forces riod. The Wilopo Cabinet was the last cabinet for

during the Wilopo the Indonesian government system to accept a
parliamentary system.
Cabinet was also
considered one of the During this period, political disputes between the

best achievements Islamic group (Masyumi) and the secular nation-
alist party weakened the parliament. During the
in Parliamentary Wilopo Cabinet, the political elite was polarized

Democracy. into what was known as solidarity makers (politi-
cal leadership) and administrators (technocrats).

During the Wilopo administration, the DPR had
a significant role in various important events. In
the early years of the Wilopo Cabinet, the DPR
demanded a reorganization of the Ministry of Defense and the removal
of the Army leadership in response to the military’s opposition to troop
reductions. This led to the October 17, 1952 massive military and civil-
ian demonstration at the Presidential Palace demanding the DPR be
disbanded. However, the restructuring of the armed forces during the
Wilopo Cabinet was also considered one of the best achievements in
Parliamentary Democracy.

In connection with the general election planned in 1955, the Wilopo Cabi-
net had already made preparations for the General Election Bill. Although
introduced in 1951, the draft was not passed until 1953, and new elections
were held in 1955. The results of the 1955 General Election also surprised
many. The votes obtained by the Indonesian Socialist Party and Masyumi
were lower than that of the PKI. After the general election, the PNI and
Masyumi had 57 seats, Nahdlatul Ulama had 45 seats, and the PKI had
39 seats. There were 28 parties in parliament, an increase in number
compared to the 20 parties before the election.

114