CONSTITUTION OF INDONESIA

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 70, Issue 256, 16 August 1950, Page 5

CONSTITUTION OF INDONESIA

“UNITARIAN STATE” PRESIDENT’S PROCLAMATION (N.Z.P. A.—Copyright) JAKARTA, Aug. 15. The President of Indonesia (Dr. Achmed Soekarno) this morning proclaimed “the Unitarian State of Indonesia.” Dr. Soekarno said: “The Unitarian State of the Republic of Indonesia will comprise the whole Indonesian country and the nation of Indonesia.” Under the new Constitution, there will be only one strong central Government, and the present system of having a President and a Cabinet for each Federal unit will disappear. When Dr. Soekarno proclaimed the new Constitution, the headquarters of the rebel Republic of the South Moluccas at Ambon was still holding out against its inclusion in the Unitarian State. Dutch New Guinea, to which Indonesia has laid claim, is also not part of the new State. The Indonesian House of Representatives last night approved by 90 votes to 18 the provisional Unitarian Constitution. ' The new State will have 10 provinces, instead of 16, as formerly. RESIGNATION OF CABINET (Rec. 10.5.) JAKARTA, Aug. 15. Premier Hatta to-night tendered the resignation of himself and his Cabinet following the proclamation this morning of the Unitarian State. Accepting the resignation,- Dr-.” Sukarno asked Mr Hatta’s Cabinet to continue as a caretaker Government pending the formation of a new parr liamentary Government, which political circles expect will be within a week.