# 1917 Dutch East Indies Volksraad election

Elections to the Volksraad were held in the Dutch East Indies on 16 October 1917. The result was a victory for the Dutch Indies Freethinkers Association, who defeated the Protestant Christian Ethical Party and the Catholic Indian Catholic Party.

## Background

The Volksraad was created by a law passed on 16 December 1916 in order to further the possibility of self-government. It had a total of 38 members, half of which were to be elected and half appointed. Seats were also assigned to ethnic groups, with 20 for the Dutch population (nine elected, eleven appointed), 15 for the native population (ten elected, five appointed) and three for the Chinese population (all of which were appointed).

## Results

Seats :
| | Moderate right-wing | 12 |
| | Moderate left-wing | 10 |
| | Left-wing | 8 |
| | Right-wing | 8 |
| Total | Total | 38 |
| Source: Schmutzer |||

### Volksraad members

The subsequent membership of the Volksraad included:
| Position | Member | Notes |
| President | Jacob Christiaan Koningsberger | |
| Appointed members | Schumann | Independent |
| Appointed members | Carel Victor Gerritsen | De Javasche Bank |
| Appointed members | H. s'Jacob | Batavia merchant |
| Appointed members | Karel Albert Rudolf Bosscha | Manager of tea plantation in Parahyangan |
| Appointed members | Kettner | Head representative of plantations, Sumatra East Coast |
| Appointed members | Stibbe | Government resident (official) |
| Appointed members | Van der Jagt | Assistant resident |
| Appointed members | Whitlau | Assistant resident |
| Appointed members | Labberton | Theosophist, Indië Weerbaar propagandist and Home Ruler |
| Appointed members | A.L. Waworoentoe | Representative of the people of Manado |
| Appointed members | Atmodirono | Javanese |
| Appointed members | A. Kamil | Muslim |
| Appointed members | Sastro Widjono | Javanese |
| Appointed members | Radjiman Wediodiningrat | Javanese, former leader of Budi Utomo |
| Appointed members | Achmad Djajadiningrat | Regent of Serang |
| Appointed members | Koesoemo Oetojo | Regent of Djapara |
| Appointed members | Koesoemo Joeso | Regent of Patjitan, formerly an official |
| Appointed members | Abdoel Moeis | Muslim, member of Sarekat Islam |
| Appointed members | Abdoel Rifai | Muslim, member of the Insulinde party |
| Elected members | Major Pabst | |
| Elected members | Josef Ignaz Julius Maria Schmutzer | Roman Catholic, leader of the Indian Catholic Party |
| Elected members | Bergmeijer | Anti-revolutionary "christian" |
| Elected members | O. van Voorhout | Head of an iron firm |
| Elected members | Koning | Head representative of the Koninklijke Paketvaart-Maatschappij |
| Elected members | Birnie | Administrator of a tobacco estate in Besoeki |
| Elected members | Stokvis | Inspector of Secondary Education |
| Elected members | Hok Hoei Kan | Chinese |
| Elected members | Lim Pat | Chinese. "Major" of Chinese miners in Bangka Island |
| Elected members | Soeselise | Representative of the Ambonese |
| Elected members | Frits Laoh | Representative of the Manadoese |
| Elected members | Charles Guillaume Cramer | Member of the Indies Social Democratic Association |
| Elected members | J.J.E. Teeuwen | Member of the Insulinde party |
| Elected members | Tjipto Mangoenkoesoemo | Member of the Insulinde party |
| Elected members | Prangwedono | Head of Mangkoenegoro |
| Elected members | Tengkoe Mohammad Tajib | Muslim, representative of Aceh |
| Elected members | Muhammad Ismail | Muslim, representative of the Arabs |
| Elected members | Dwidjosewojo | Javanese |
| Elected members | Oemar Said Tjokroaminoto | Muslim, President of Sarekat Islam |