Page 72 - BUKU A CENTURY OF PARLIAMENTARY LIFE IN INDONESIA

FROM VOLKSRAAD TO THE CENTRAL INDONESIAN NATIONAL COMMITTEE
(1917–1949)

When Soekarno-Hatta and Amir Syarifuddin were in Surabaya on Octo-
ber 30, 1945 to mediate the dispute between the people of Surabaya and
the Allies, through the BP they proposed to the government to give the
people the opportunity to establish a political party. The consideration in
the BP proposal was based on the fact that the freedom of assembly was
guaranteed by the 1945 Constitution.

BP’s proposal was immediately answered. On November 3, 1945, a go-
vernment decree was issued, signed by Vice President Hatta, stating that
“we like political parties because, with these parties, we can lead all of
the currents of beliefs in society in an orderly manner” .

The subsequent maneuver from Syahrir’s group to realize the Decree
of Guntur 23 through BP took the form of the Working Committee An-
nouncement No. 5 issued November 11, 1945. This announcement con-
tained BP’s proposal on the accountability of ministers to the DPR.

The consideration behind BP’s proposal was the amendment of Article
IV of the 1945 Constitution’s Transitional Laws concerning the KNIP’s
change of function from an assistant to the President to a legislative
body.

In a meeting at Hatta’s house, Vice President Hatta could accept BP’s
proposal, while Syahrir was appointed to form a new cabinet. A new
cabinet called the Council of Ministers was announced on November 14,
1945, three days after the issuance of BP’s proposal regarding ministerial
accountability to the DPR.

Syahrir’s cabinet clearly violated the 1945 Constitution which stated that
ministers can only be appointed and dismissed by the President. Accord-
ing to Article 17 of the 1945 Constitution, each minister was accountable
to the President, while Syahrir’s Cabinet was responsible to the KNIP.
However, Syahrir’s Cabinet was considered valid on the grounds of con-
ventionality, as, according to some experts, the country’s political emer-
gency at the time justified it.

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