Presidential Cabinet (Indonesia)

The Presidential Cabinet (Indonesian: Kabinet Presidensial) was the first cabinet established by Indonesia following the 17 August 1945 Indonesian Declaration of Independence. It comprised 20 ministers and four officials. Its term of office ran from 2 September to 14 November 1945.

Presidential Cabinet
1st Cabinet of Indonesia
Indonesian Government (Executive Branch)
National emblem of Indonesia
Date formed	19 August 1945
Date dissolved	14 November 1945
People and organisations
Head of state	Sukarno
Head of government	Sukarno
No. of ministers	24
History
Successor	Sjahrir I

Background

Pamphlet announcing Sukarno's Presidential Cabinet and Indonesia's provincial governors.

Indonesian had been under Japanese occupation since 1942, but by 1943, realizing they were losing the war, the Japanese appointed Indonesian advisors (sanyo) to the administration and appointed nationalist leader Sukarno leader of a new Central Advisory Board (Chuo Sani-kai) in Jakarta[1] On 7 August, the day after the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, the Preparatory Committee for Indonesian Independence (Indonesian: Panitia Persiapan Kemerdekaan Indonesia) or PPKI was established. Sukarno was chairman, and Hatta vice-chairman. On 19 August 1945, this body created 12 ministries for Indonesia's first cabinet. The cabinet as formed contained sanyo as well as officials who had not worked with the Japanese. The cabinet was responsible to President Sukarno.[2][3]

Composition

President

• President: Sukarno
• Vice President: Mohammad Hatta

Ministers

Portfolio	Minister		Took office	Left office	Party
Minister of Home Affairs		R. A. A. Muharam Wiranatakusumah	19 August 1945	14 November 1945	Independent
Minister of Foreign Affairs		Achmad Subardjo	19 August 1945	14 November 1945	Independent
Minister of People's Security		Soeprijadi	6 October 1945	20 October 1945	Independent
		Muhammad Soeljoadikusuma	20 October 1945	14 November 1945	Independent
Minister of Justice		Prof. Soepomo	19 August 1945	14 November 1945	Independent
Minister of Finance		Dr. Samsi	19 August 1945	22 September 1945	Independent
		A. A. Maramis	22 September 1945	14 November 1945	Independent
Minister of Education		Ki Hadjar Dewantara	19 August 1945	14 November 1945	Independent
Minister of Health		Dr. Boentaran Martoatmodjo	19 August 1945	14 November 1945	Independent
Minister of Social Affairs		Iwa Kusumasumantri	19 August 1945	14 November 1945	Independent
Minister of Information		Amir Sjarifuddin	19 August 1945	14 November 1945	Independent
Minister of Transportation		Abikusno Tjokrosujuso	19 August 1945	14 November 1945	Independent
Minister of Welfare		R. P. Soerachman	19 August 1945	14 November 1945	Independent
Minister of Public Works		Abikusno Tjokrosujuso	19 August 1945	14 November 1945	Independent
Deputy Minister of Home Affairs		Harmani	19 August 1945	14 November 1945	Independent
Deputy Minister of Information		Ali Sastroamidjojo	19 August 1945	14 November 1945	Independent
State Minister		Mohammad Amir	19 August 1945	14 November 1945	Independent
State Minister		Wahid Hasyim	19 August 1945	14 November 1945	Independent
State Minister		Sartono	19 August 1945	14 November 1945	Independent
State Minister		A. A. Maramis	19 August 1945	14 November 1945	Independent
State Minister		Mohammad Amir	19 August 1945	14 November 1945	Independent
State Minister		Oto Iskandar di Nata	19 August 1945	14 November 1945	Independent

Officials With the Rank of Minister

• Chief Justice of the Supreme Court: Dr. Kusumah Atmaja
• Attorney General: Gatot Tarunamihardja
• State Secretary: Abdoel Affar Pringgodigdo
• State Spokesman: Soekarjo Wirjopranoto

Changes

On 22 September 1945, Finance Minister Samsi was replaced by A. A. Maramis on health grounds. In a government decree on 6 October, Soeprijadi, a hero of the Blitar rebellion against the occupying Japanese, was officially appointed Defense Minister. However, as no news was ever heard of him, on 20 October Muhammad Soeljoadikusuma was appointed ad interim Defense Minister. Attorney General Gatot Tarunamihardja resigned on 24 October. As a temporary measure, Chief Justice Kusumah Atmaja was appointed acting Attorney General. Kasman Singodiedjo was appointed to the post on 7 November.

The end of the cabinet

On 11 November 1945, the Central Indonesian National Committee, which was the de facto legislature, demanded the cabinet be responsible to it, not to President Sukarno. Sukarno agreed to this and dismissed the cabinet.[4]

References

• Kahin, George McTurnan (1952). Nationalism and Revolution in Indonesia. Ithaca, New York: Cornell University Press.
• Ricklefs (1982), A History of Modern Indonesia, Macmillan Southeast Asian reprint, ISBN 0-333-24380-3
• Simanjuntak, P. N. H. (2003), Kabinet-Kabinet Republik Indonesia: Dari Awal Kemerdekaan Sampai Reformasi (in Indonesian), Jakarta: Djambatan, pp. 15–23, ISBN 979-428-499-8.

Notes

1. Ricklefs (1982) p193
2. Kahin (1952) p139
3. Simanjuntak (2003) pp. 16-17
4. Kahin (1952) pp 168-169