Page 202 - BUKU A CENTURY OF PARLIAMENTARY LIFE IN INDONESIA

THE NEW FACE OF INDONESIAN PARLIAMENT
(1959-1966)

Entering 1966, the people’s pressure on the Government to create eco-
nomic and political stability grew. Demonstrations against the govern-
ment erupted on 10 January in front of the State Secretariat, Jakarta. The
masses consisting of youth and student organizations such as Ansor, the
Muhammadiyah Youth, GMKI, GAMKI, GSNI, the Marhaenis Youth, HMI,
the Catholic Youth, and others (part of the Youth
Front) urged the Government to immediately re-
voke all tariff increase regulations that essentially
burdened the poor.
In the midst of a volatile
They also demanded that the cabinet’s authority
be restored immediately by firing incompetent and heated national
officials and urging the government to purge the political situation, the
cabinet from communist elements. Two days later,
on 12 January 1966, students who were members Armed Forces of the
of the KAMI (Indonesian Student Action Union) Republic of Indonesia
held a demonstration. They did a long march (ABRI) declared its
from the Faculty of Medicine of the University of
Indonesia to the DPR-GR Building, Senayan. loyalty and obedience to
the Supreme Commander,
Observing the increasing intensity of the dem- President Soekarno, to
onstration which started to threaten national in-
tegrity, the DPR-GR Speaker Aruji Kartawinata, face all the challenges
the DPR-GR Deputy Speaker I.G.G. Subamia and of the revolution in
Rear Admiral Mursalim met with President Soe- accordance with the
karno. They submitted a progress report of the
student demonstration that demanded the repeal Sapta Marga and the
of all Government regulations regarding price in- Soldier’s Oath.
creases and transport fares.

In the midst of a volatile and heated national po-
litical situation, the Armed Forces of the Republic
of Indonesia (ABRI) declared its loyalty and obe-
dience to the Supreme Commander, President Soekarno, to face all the
challenges of the revolution in accordance with the Sapta Marga and the
Soldier’s Oath. So far, ABRI and the people had maintained cohesiveness
as a prerequisite for the success of the Revolution, especially in terms of
national security. This affirmation was contained in a statement by the
ABRI leadership on 16 January 1966.

Realizing the dire situation in the country, the leadership of the DPR-GR
decided that the Deliberative Committee and the Leaders of the Groups

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