Page 148 - BUKU A CENTURY OF PARLIAMENTARY LIFE IN INDONESIA

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

Debates and fears of a military takeover began to emerge. So, on Novem-
ber 12, 1958, Nasution, in his speech at the Military Academy, Magelang,
proposed the middle way doctrine. The doctrine emphasized the mili-
tary’s involvement in political affairs and incapacity for a takeover.

Nasution’s speech dispelled rumors that the mili-
tary, particularly the Army, would stage a coup
against the government, and Indonesia would be
ruled under a military dictatorship. However, the
doctrine suggested threats and pressure from the
Army to get involved in the government as a func- The entire Council
tional group. The speech seemingly declared that finally approved the
the Indonesian military was a political force to be
reckoned with. idea of returning to the
1945 Constitution of
At the end of 1958, the National Council and the
Cabinet began to support the idea of returning Ministers through its
to the 1945 Constitution. In addition, the ongoing session on February 19,
martial law was extended for one year. Thus, the 1959.
parliament was getting weaker. Meanwhile, the
path to return to the 1945 Constitution was clear,
as Soekarno began to buy into the idea.

The government then began to negotiate the
steps to propose returning to the 1945 Constitu-
tion. But, first, the government was required to propose a return to the
1945 Constitution to the Constituent Assembly as a formal procedure
based on the regulations contained in Article 134 of the 1950 Law. The
President delivered the proposal on behalf of the government.

The entire Council finally approved the idea of returning to the 1945 Con-
stitution of Ministers through its session on February 19, 1959. On Febru-
ary 20, 1959, the Djuanda Cabinet officially approved the formulation of
the recommendation to implement Guided Democracy in the context of
returning to the 1945 Constitution. The proposal’s manuscript was sub-
mitted to the DPR and the Constituent Assembly a day later. Finally, the
government’s decision was conveyed directly in the March 2, 1959 DPR
session.

dpr.go.id 141