Soekarno To Assume Wider Powers?

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28939, 6 July 1959, Page 11

Soekarno To Assume Wider Powers?

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) (Rec. 11.10 p.m.) JAKARTA, July 5. President Soekarno of Indonesia is expected to issue a decree tomorrow for the return of the 1945 revolutionary Constitution. This first Indonesian Constitution will give him near-dictatorial powers to rule by decree. The Indonesian Constituent Assembly, the body which has blocked President Soekarno’s attempts to re-invoke the Constitution, would not meet again except to be dissolved, a leading Indonesian legislator, Mr Jody Gondokusuomo, quoted by Antara News Agency, said today.

Mr Gondokusumo is spokesman for 17 factions in the Assembly and representative of 20 members of Parliament.

Antara also quoted the VicePresident of the National Assembly (Mr Abdul Gani) as saying the President would act soon to take “concrete steps.” The Information Ministry said this afternoon the President would make an important announcement in the Palace tomorrow. Since President Soekarno returned from a world tour on Monday, the announcement of a decree had been expected daily.

The afternoon newspaper, “Indonesian Observer,” said the present Juanda Cabinet, the longest-lived in Indonesian history, would hand in its mandate on Monday. A new Cabinet would probably be formed next week.

Some observers said it was possible that President Soekarno might also decree the abolition of the Constituent Assembly in an announcement tomorrow afternoon.

The Assembly blocked his guided democracy plans on July 2 by failing to vote for the 1945 Constitution as he had requested. The Nationalist and Communist Parties have already called for a dissolution of the Assembly.

Talks With Premier President Soekarno on Friday met the Premier (Dr. Juanda), service leaders and the Cabinet in an effort to find a basic agreement to break the crisis caused by • the Constituent Assembly vote. Yesterday he had a second talk with Dr. Juanda and met the Foreign Minister (Mr Subandrio) and Veterans’ Minister (Mr Chajrul Saleh). All three are strongly tipped for leading posts in a Presidential Cabinet, which will be set up under the old Constitution. The Information Ministry announced these would be the last meetings before the President took firm action. The Army Chief of Staff (Lieu-tenant-General Abdul Haris Nasution) said in an interview earlier this week that the President would be Head of State as well as Head of Government under the new Constitution. It was believed virtually certain that the powerful Communist Party—one of Indonesia’s four big parties—will have no seats in the new Cabinet.