Page 55 - BUKU A CENTURY OF PARLIAMENTARY LIFE IN INDONESIA

A CENTURY OF PARLIAMENTARY LIFE
IN INDONESIA

necessary. An example of such a session was the
Special Session on September 11, 1944, which
was held in regards to the announcement for the
“Promise of Independence” .
The Volksraad was

a council formed in The formation of Chuo Sangi-In showed that the
Japanese had also thought of a council similar
time of peace whose to the Volksraad during the Dutch Colonial Go-

functions were vernment. However, its organizational style and
function were different from the Volksraad. This
based on liberal distinction was made clear in the official state-

parliamentary ment by the Japanese Military Occupation Go-
vernment which emphasized that no government
principles, so its employee should sit on this council.

members had a
space to produce This difference was only natural in a war situa-
tion that required certain structures and func-
initiatives and propose tions. The Volksraad was a council formed in time

resolutions requesting of peace whose functions were based on liberal
parliamentary principles, so its members had a
the government to space to produce initiatives and propose resolu-

correct its stance on tions requesting the government to correct its
stance on certain issues.
certain issues.

Regarding the formation of Chuo Sangi-In,
Soekarno was of the opinion that the Japanese
council provided an even more limited space for
the Indonesian people to speak up. In comparison
to members of the Chuo Sangi-In, Volksraad
members, albeit disempowered, still could
freely criticize the government and question all aspects of the Colonial
Government. In contrast, the Chuo Sangi-In members had no capacity
whatsoever. In fact, the Japanese Military Occupation Government
declared that there would be no place for Indonesians whose goals were
not aligned with the occupation government’s goals.

48