Socialist Party of Indonesia Partai Sosialis Indonesia | |
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| Abbreviation | PSI |
| Chairman | Sutan Sjahrir |
| Founded | 13 February 1948 (1948-02-13) |
| Banned | 17 August 1960 (1960-08-17) |
| Split from | Socialist Party |
| Headquarters | 6 Djalan Tjisedane,Jakarta[1] |
| Youth wing | Gerakan Pemuda Sosialis |
| Women's wing | Gerakan Wanita Sosialis |
| Ideology | Socialism Democratic socialism Liberal socialism Social democracy[2] Some famous figures: Communism (claim by some, 1948–1950s)[3] |
| Political position | Left-wing |
| International affiliation | Asian Socialist Conference |
TheSocialist Party of Indonesia (Indonesian:Partai Sosialis Indonesia,PSI) was asocialist political party inIndonesia which existed from 1948 until 1960, when it was banned by PresidentSukarno.
In December 1945,Amir Sjarifoeddin'sSocialist Party of Indonesia (Parsi) andSutan Sjahrir'sSocialist People's Party (Parsas), both of which had only recently been established, merged to form theSocialist Party. Sjahrir became leader of the combined party. It was popular among young intellectuals and students, as well as members of the underground movements led by the two men during theJapanese occupation of the Dutch East Indies.[4] At the end of 1945, the Socialist Party gained five of the 25 seats on the working committee of theCentral Indonesian National Committee, thede facto legislature.[5] Both Sjahrir and Amir served terms asprime minister, while other Socialist Party members held senior cabinet posts.[6]
From 1947, divisions appeared between Sjahrir and Amir, as Amir and hiscommunist allies gained more and more influence over the party. In June 1947, Amir ousted Sjahrir. The second party called the Socialist Party of Indonesia was founded on 12 February 1948 by Sjahrir after his departure from the Socialist Party.[7][8] Joining him in the new party wereLintong Mulia Sitorus and other followers who agreed with his position on nationalism and not having a strongly pro-Soviet line. The party also launched a newspaper calledSikap, which Sitorus edited.
Following the dissolution of theUnited States of Indonesia and the reestablishment of the unitary Republic of Indonesia in 1950, the PSI was awarded 17 of the 232 seats in the new legislature, thePeople's Representative Council (DPR), a total in proportion to the estimated strength of the party.[9]
The PSI held its first party congress in 1952.[10]
In the1955 legislative election, the PSI won only 2% of the vote, resulting in five seats in the legislature. This was a far smaller share of the vote than had been expected.[11][12]
The second party congress was held in June 1955.[10]
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After the 1955 elections, a clear political division betweenJava and the outer islands opened up. This was followed by a military crisis brought about by army chief-of-staff GeneralNasution's plan to implement widespread transfers of officers, many of whom had built up private business interests in the regions. On 20 July 1956, the most prominent non-Javanese politician, Vice-president Hatta, resigned with effect from 1 December. Tired of the political infighting, on 28 October, President Sukarno called for an end to political parties. This would lead to his 1957 conception of “guided democracy”, which the PSI opposed.[13][14]
In December 1956, several army commanders inSumatra announced they had taken over civil government. This crisis spread and in March 1957, the military commander of East Indonesia imposed martial law over his command area. In March 1957 the cabinet resigned and Sukarno proclaimed martial law nationwide. In May 1957, PSI economist ProfessorSumitro Djojohadikusumo left Jakarta forSumatra, followed by other political figures. In January 1958, the PSI demanded a new cabinet, and the following month dissidents inPadang,West Sumatra issued an ultimatum demanding the dissolution of the cabinet within five days. Despite efforts by the PSI in Jakarta to forestall a rebellion, on 15 February a rebel government was proclaimed inBukitinggi called theRevolutionary Government of the Republic of Indonesia (PRRI). It was headed by Sjafruddin Prawiranegara as prime minister and includedBurhanuddin Harahap from theMasyumi Party and Sumitro Djojohadikusumo. Hatta and PSI leaders in Jakarta called for a negotiated settlement, but the government decided on a military solution, which defeated the rebellion by mid-1958.[15]
Sukarno implemented his plan for guided democracy by issuing adecree restoring the1945 Constitution. The PSI was not represented in either the new cabinet, the Supreme Advisory Council nor the National Planning Council established under the new system. Finally, in August 1960, PresidentSukarno formally banned the PSI and the Masyumi Party for their opposition toGuided Democracy and their alleged support of the PRRI rebellion.[16]
The party's philosophy was based onFabianism with elements ofMarxist social analysis. There was a distinct Indonesian character to the party's brand of socialism. It stressed the need for modernization, economic development and rational planning and organization, while opposing extremenationalism and anti-foreign sentiment. It accepted the need for foreign capital, but party leaders criticized what they saw as theHatta cabinet's overcautious foreign policy and the strong influence of theUnited States over it. They strongly opposed the party siding with either the United States or theSoviet Union.
Rather than building support among the masses, the party aimed to develop a well-trained core of members. It had considerable influence among high-level bureaucrats and the leadership of the army. SultanHamengkubuwana IX andNasution did not belong to the PSI, but they had strong informal links with it.[17][18][19]
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