INDONESIA PARTIES

Press, Volume XCV, Issue 28234, 23 March 1957, Page 11

INDONESIA PARTIES

Threat Of Strike

CNJZ. Press Association—Copyright) (Rec. 7 p.m.) JAKARTA, March 21. The threat of a Communistorganised strike hung over Indonesia tonight as the Nationalist Party failed to make any progress in its efforts to form a new Government. “The Communist Party fully agrees to the projected all-out strike throughout the country in protest against the formation of an unjust Cabinet,” Mr D. N. Daidit, secretary-general of the Communist Party, told a delegation of workers today. The Communist - dominated Sobsi, Indonesia’s biggest federation of trade unions, announced' that it would call a general strike if the Masjumi, Indonesia’s major Moslem party and the most staunchly anti-Communist political organisation, were invited to join the Cabinet, and the Communist Party were excluded. The Communist Party is supporting a stand by President Sukarno and the Nationalist Party that since a coalition between the Nationalist Party, Masjumi, the Communists, and Nahdatul Ulama (Indonesia’s second Moslem party) was not possible, then the only compromise was coalition between the Nationalists, and Nahdatul Ulama. But Nahdatul Ulama are demanding the inclusion of the Masjumi to give the new Cabinet some authority in provincial centres of unrest, where the Masjumi is the strongest party. Strike Orders

“Orders have been issued to workers to make preparations for a total strike,” Mr Daidit said. Meanwhile, a conference of Indonesia’s senior army officers ended inconclusively today. The conference, which was attended by commanders who have led local coups, or have personally taken over administrative control of areas they command, urged restoration of co-operation between President Sukarno and the vice-president, Dr. Hatta. But members to the conference also said that they could not give “legal approval” to the formation

of a military government in East Indonesia, and announced that they had decided to effect the “restoration of administration by the proper body” ip Central Sumatra, where a revolutionary council seized control.

This was taken in the expectation that Dr. Sukarno and Dr. Hatta would co-operate in conformity with demands of the restless provinces.,