Man in Charge

For three weeks, while his revolt-torn country rocked along with no government other than himself. Indonesia's President Sukarno sat back and bided his time. His own choice, a hapless politician named Suwirjo, tried in vain to form a new government, but gave up, muttering: "Thank God it's over."

Then Sukarno stepped boldly into the breach he himself had opened. As Djakarta's sunset gun heralded an end to the day's fasting for the Moslem Ramadan, Sukarno summoned 69 leading Indonesian politicians and 60 of his top-ranking military leaders through a driving tropical downpour to the vaulted, marble-floored State Palace. In one bank of chairs on one side of the hall sat the civilian politicians of all persuasions. Facing them across a space of 20 feet sat the military men—who are, to a man, disturbed by the politicians' bickering. With a proper sense of dramatic timing. Sukarno let the two groups stare at each other in silence for 30 long and thoughtful minutes. Then the President strode in and talked for 90 minutes. His solution for Indonesia's governmental chaos was simple indeed. Said Sukarno: "I, President Sukarno, have appointed Citizen Sukarno—myself—to form an extraparliamentary Emergency Cabinet of experts . . ."

Were there any objections? Paper ballots were passed out forthwith to the politicians. Said Sukarno when the vote was tallied: "I am very happy and moved that a majority would accept appointment to an Emergency Cabinet post." Now he could get on with his promised introduction of what he calls "guided democracy," instead of the Western-style parliamentary democracy which had. admittedly, failed to govern the country effectively.