NEW INDONESIAN PARLIAMENT IS MULTI-PARTY BODY

Wanganui Chronicle, 8 September 1950, Page 5

NEW INDONESIAN PARLIAMENT IS MULTI-PARTY BODY

JACARTA, Sept. 6.—The formation of Indonesia s new multi-party Parliamentary Government with 18 Ministers was announced today by Mohammed Natsir, who will be Premier without any specific portfolio. The Sultan of Jogjakarta becomes Deputy-Premier charged with the coordination of security. Mohammed Roem at present Indonesian High Commissioner at The Hague becomes Foreign Minister. The former Premier of the now defunct Jogjakarta Government, Doctor Abdul Halim, becomes Defence M.nister, and the former Acting-President of the Jogjakarta Government, Doctor Assat, becomes Minister for Home Affairs. The Nationalists, although the second largest party in the country, find no place in Natsir’s Cabinet which, he said, was constituted on the basis of “the right man in the right place” after negotiations with the Nationaliits had yielded no results.

In his first interview as Premier. Natsir said that one of the main tasks of his Government would be to settle the West New Guinea issue—-by negotiation with the Dutch within this year as provided in The Hague round-table agreement. Indonesia's foreign policy would continue to be an “independent one," said Natsir. Other main tasks for the Government. he said, would be to prepare for the general elections as soon as possible with a view to convening the constituent assembly, internal consolidation. stimulating self-activity among the people of all spheres of activity, and reconstruction with a view to achieving a higher standard of living.