New Guinea Council

Blueprint For The Dutch New Guinea Council

In Netherlands New Guinea in early May confidential talks were going on between Government officials and Papuan leaders on detailed plans for NNG’s New Guinea Council, which the Dutch hope to get going by the end of this year. jyrjT the chances are that, with so much detail yet to be worked out only the PLAN will get as far as the Dutch Parliament this year and that nothing will be operating until next year, and then ° nlV More V details St will probably be available about July, but in the meantime this is how the Dutch think the New Guinea Council will W ° h Thf influence the Council will have on the Government’s policy “will probably not be very great in the beginning” (says Internal Affairs Minister Toxopeus) but it will be built up as a training school in the Parliamentary arena. . . . , , 00 It will have a native majority and be comprised of not less than 24 and not more than 48 members. Twenty-eight members are planned for the first Council.

New councils will be appointed each four years, and the number of members will be fixed each time, probably increasing as new areas of the Territory are brought under Government control.

It will be made “as representative as possible because experience in other parts of the world has shown that only if elected do members feel themselves representative of the people”. , , Direct elections will probably be organised in urban centres but they will be indirect in rural centres, after the fashion of the Regional Council election. For some areas the Governor will nominate representatives ana may ask for names to be suggested by the local people.

Since the Council will not be in constant session, an Executive Board will be set up to handle matters between times.

The Board will be elected by and from Council members—one member on the Board for each four members of the Council.

This Board is expected to take over a considerable part of the Council’s duties while the Council is not in session. The Board will be able to prepare draft bills to come up in the Council.

The New Guinea Council will have the right to initiate legisla tion, and will also be able to co-opeiate with the preparation of the budget.

However, the Council will not be given full budgetary powers at the beginning.

This matter will probably be handled by inviting the Council to discuss a Government note containing general views on the forth coming budget and an outline of NNG finances. A provisional draft budget will accompany this note.

The Council’s views will be put into a report and the Council will then discuss this report in conjunction with the draft budget.