Oldal 1 [1]
XeAsNoel5e for December 1952.
THE SITUATION IN INDONBSIA s
Calm has returned now to the country. ,he riots which
were set of in early October, and which threatened, at least for
a few hours, the very existence of the regime, are over. Premier
Wlopo's regime, has gained a reppite for th time being. It
would be neverthebess a gravious error to consider the crisis as
over. In fact, the crisis is just beginning.
the reason of the crisis is a simple one. the present
Parlaiment is not elected, but appointed. Despite the almost
anarchist political fresdom given in the country, and despite
President Soekarno's frequent ueblarations about d mocracy, nobody
seriously has been thinking about elections. he reason is that
the Parliament and the political parties init, represent absolutely
nothing. 811 the big talks about parties and so on are just untrue.
there is less that 1% of the population, which can be considered
as politcially articulate or ever interested in public affairse
“he result of this curious situation is that forces are gradually
developing outside of varliament, which feel that they are called
for taking power.
as it stands now, only three forces have really any sort
of consequencee ‘these are the Moslem Party, the Yommunist frarty
supported by the Trade unions, and finally the Army.
the Moslem rarty presided by Mohammed Natsir, is the only
political organization whith any sort of mass following. if commands
the support of the buik of the Mohammedan population and would
consecu ntly gain a substantial following in case of slectionse
having more than its share of governmental power nevertheless, the
mohammedan rarty is interested in postponing the elections indefinitel
Since it is by no means certain, that there would not be another
coalition of int rests, which .ould emerge from the ballot boxes
and might therefore take away f.om the Mohammedans their present
governmental powers in the truest sense of the word, the Mohammedans
are today the conservativ.s of the present regimee fherr program
is mostly limited to just that. “hey are in the regime for vhat they
can get out of it, in special favors and advantages for the
mohammedan population. ‘4his privileged situation is nevertheless
a cause of wide-spread ciriticism against them by the other groups
of the popualation. *
he Second group are the comrunists. he vommuráát rarty
organization as such is rather weak, but the Party has gained
Sé.