The first Sjahrir Cabinet ( id, Kabinet Sjahrir Pertama) was the second

Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...

n cabinet, named after the Prime Minister. It served from November 1945 to February 1946.

Background

The first Sjahrir cabinet was established following the 11 November 1945 demand from the

Central Indonesian National Committee The Central Indonesian National Committee, ( id, Komite Nasional Indonesia Pusat) or KNIP, was a body appointed to assist the president of the newly independent Indonesia. Originally purely advisory, it later gained assumed legislative functions. ...

, which was the ''de facto'' legislature, that the cabinet be responsible to it, not to President

Sukarno Sukarno). (; born Koesno Sosrodihardjo, ; 6 June 1901 – 21 June 1970) was an Indonesian statesman, orator, revolutionary, and nationalist who was the first president of Indonesia, serving from 1945 to 1967. Sukarno was the leader of ...

. The existing cabinet was dismissed and

Sutan Sjahrir Sutan Sjahrir (5 March 1909 – 9 April 1966) was an Indonesian politician, and revolutionary independence leader, who served as the first Prime Minister of Indonesia, from 1945 until 1947. Previously, he was a key Indonesian nationalist organiz ...

was asked to become

prime minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is not ...

. He agreed to do so on the condition he was allowed to select his own cabinet. The cabinet lineup was announced on 14 November 1945.Kahin (1952) p169Ricklefs (1982) p206

Composition

None of the ministers had served in the previous cabinet. The government was intended to be inclusive, with representation from the nationalist and the religious parties, the latter grouping being represented by the PSII.Simanjuntak (2003) pp. 52-54

Changes

There were several changes over the short life of this cabinet. On 5 December 1945, Finance Minister Soenarjo Kolopaking and Social Affairs Minister Adjidarmo Tjokronegoro resigned and were replaced by Soerachman Tjokroadisoerjo and Soedarsono respectively. On 3 January 1946, State Minister Rasjidi was appointed Minister of Religious Affairs, heading the new ministry established the same day. The following day,

Muhammad Natsir Mohammad Natsir (17 July 19086 February 1993) was an Islamic scholar and politician. He was Indonesia's fifth List of Prime Ministers of Indonesia, prime minister. After moving to Bandung from his hometown Solok, West Sumatra for senior high sch ...

took over Amir Sjarifuddin's job as Minister of Information. On 7 January 1946, Soegiono Josodiningrat was appointed to replace Junior Minister of People's Security Abdul Murad and the name of the ministry was changed to the Ministry of Defense.Simanjuntak (2003) p25

The end of the cabinet

The Sjahrir cabinet fell as a result of the conflict between the Struggle Front of opposition politician

Tan Malaka Tan Malaka (2 June 1897 – 21 February 1949) was an Indonesian teacher, Marxist, philosopher, founder of Struggle Union (Persatuan Perjuangan) and Murba Party, independent guerrilla, Indonesian fighter, and national hero. ''Tempo'' credited him ...

and Sjahrir over the latter's readiness to compromise with the Dutch before their colonial army had left Indonesia. Tan Malaka demanded a cabinet of national unity which secured widespread public support, prompting Sjahrir's resignation on 28 February 1946.Simanjuntak (2003) pp. 26-28Kahin (1952) pp.175-176

Notes

References

* Kahin, George McTurnan (1952) ''Nationalism and Revolution in Indonesia'' Cornell University Press, * Ricklefs (1982), ''A History of Modern Indonesia'', Macmillan Southeast Asian reprint, * {{Cabinets of Indonesia Cabinets of Indonesia Indonesian National Revolution 1945 establishments in Indonesia 1946 disestablishments in Indonesia Cabinets established in 1945 Cabinets disestablished in 1946