Page 25 - BUKU A CENTURY OF PARLIAMENTARY LIFE IN INDONESIA

A CENTURY OF PARLIAMENTARY LIFE
IN INDONESIA

And that matters regarding the militia were not essential and were not the
delegation’s primary goal. The indigenous people’s main goal was to es-
tablish laws that would ensure the formation of an independent parliament.

The Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies was also very concerned
about this issue, as shown on the letters he addressed to the Colonial
Affairs Minister, urging prompt resolution on the laws. The correspon-
dences took place from July until the laws were finally passed in Decem-
ber 1916.

The laws of establishing parliament in the Dutch East Indies had been
discussed in the preceding periods due to autonomy in the Dutch East
Indies. The implementation of such freedom took the form of preparation
to establish a People’s Representative Council.

In 1907, Colony Affairs Minister Dirk Fock (1858–1941) proposed expand-
ing the Council of the Indies. In 1913, Fock’s successor, Jan Hendrik de
Waal Malefijt, proposed establishing a Koloniale Raad (Colonial Council)
with 29 members. Among the Colonial Council members were members
of the Council of the Indies. Among the 11 members elected by the Local
Council, some represented the Netherlands’ interests while others repre-
sented the indigenous people’s interests.

Movement activists could not accept the Koloniale Raad (Colonial Coun-
cil); hence the name Volksraad (People’s Council) was used. Based on
an amendment from Dirk Fock et al on September 20, 1916, the name
“Koloniale Raad” was replaced with “Volksraad voor Nederlandsch-Indie”
as stated in Article 131. The name change from was also discussed during
the Tweede Kamer session on October 3, 1916.

Meanwhile, Article 132 stated that members of Koloniale Raad, which lat-
er became Volksraad, consisted of at least 39 members. Members were
selected according to these rules:
1. The chairman shall be selected by the Queen;

2. Nineteen members shall be selected by the Regional Council and
the City Council; 10 shall be indigenous, and nine others shall be
Europeans.

On the formation of the Volksraad at the time, J. J. Schrieke, Deputy Clerk
of the Batavia Raad van Justitie (Council of Justice), wrote a note in Malay
for the priyayi (nobles of the robe). He stressed the connection between

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