Volksraad

Volksraad, advisory body created by the Dutch in the East Indies (now Indonesia) in 1917 and opened in May 1918. It served as a forum for the expression of grievances but lacked the power to pursue genuine reform.

The council consisted of both elected and appointed members. The elected members were chosen through intermediary elections by the regional and city councils. The appointments were made by the governor-general. Initially, the majority of the membership was appointed and predominantly European, to the anger of Indonesian nationalists. In 1925 the Volksraad was made a semilegislative body; although decisions were still made by the Dutch government, the governor-general was expected to consult the Volksraad on major issues. The membership was increased, but the Dutch still had 30 members, while Indonesians had 25 and other races had 5. Not until 1929 was the composition of the Volksraad revised; Indonesian membership was increased to 30 and Dutch reduced to 25. The number of persons qualified to vote directly for representatives in the Volksraad, however, especially Indonesians, remained small. The term of office was three years until 1925, when it was increased to four. Many radical Indonesian nationalists saw no advantage in joining the Volksraad, although a number of prominent nationalist leaders were members. The last election for the Volksraad was in 1939; the body was dissolved when Japanese troops occupied Indonesia in 1942.