Page 97 - BUKU A CENTURY OF PARLIAMENTARY LIFE IN INDONESIA

A CENTURY OF PARLIAMENTARY LIFE
IN INDONESIA

Under Article 74 paragraph 1 of the RIS Consti-
tution, President Soekarno and state authorities
The difference between must appoint three cabinet-formateurs on De-

RIS and the Republic cember 18, 1949. However, the cabinet formation
did not go as smoothly as the presidential elec-
of Indonesia was in tion because many assembly members wanted

their state institutions, more than three cabinet-formateurs. After delib-
eration, an agreement was reached for the Presi-
namely the presence of dent of RIS to appoint four cabinet formateurs.

a Senate representing The four formateurs were Drs. Mohammad Hatta,
Sultan Hamengkubuwono IX, Ide Anak Agung
the federal state, Gde Agung, and Sultan Hamid II.
which is different Then, the President appointed Mohammad Hatta

from the regional as Prime Minister. On December 19, 1949, Moh.

representatives Hatta successfully formed the RIS Cabinet, which
consisted of 14 portfolio ministries and three non-
who represented the portfolio ministries. On December 20, 1949, as

provinces. the President of RIS, Soekarno inducted the RIS
Cabinet under the leadership of Prime Minister
Mohammad Hatta at the Concordia Building, Jl.
Sipayer (now Jl. Dr. Wahidin Sudirohusodo).

After the Cabinet under Prime Minister Hatta had been formed, the next
step was to appoint a RIS delegation to receive the transfer of sover-
eignty in the Netherlands. The delegation consisted of Prime Minister
and Minister of Foreign Affairs Moh. Hatta as head of the delegation,
with members including Prof. Dr. Supomo, Mr. Sujono Hadinoto, Mr. A.K.
Pringgodigdo, and Moh. Jahja as scribes. On December 23, 1949, the del-
egation led by Mohammad Hatta left for the Netherlands.

The early months of the RIS administration were sometimes called the
“RIS Constitution Period”, often also referred to as the RIS Provisional
Constitution. The temporary nature as stated in Article 186: “The Con-
stituent Assembly and the government shall immediately stipulate the
Constitution of the Republic of the United States of Indonesia”. The for-
mation of this constitution was considered a bit rushed, seemingly just to
fulfill the requirements for forming a federal state, RIS.

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