Oldal 1 [1]
OCR
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.
