Dayak Unity Party Partai Persatuan Dayak | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Abbreviation | PPD, PD |
| Chairman | Agustinus Jelani (1947–1958) |
| Founder | F. C. Palaunsoeka |
| Founded | 1945 |
| Dissolved | 1961 |
| Preceded by | Dayak in Action |
| Merged into | Indonesia Party |
| Headquarters | Putussibau (1945–1946) Pontianak (1946–1961) |
| Newspaper | Keadilan (Justice) |
| Membership (1947) | 50,000 |
| Ideology | |
The Dayak Unity Party (Indonesian: Partai Persatuan Dayak, PPD), also known simply as Dayak Unity (PD), was a local and ethnicity-based political party in Indonesia. Formed to represent the political interests of the Dayak people, the PPD was likely the strongest ethnic political party in the country and it became the backbone of Indonesia's Dayak political movement. The party performed strongly in the elections of 1955 and 1957 and returned Dayak politicians to prominent position, including Oevaang Oeray to the governorship of West Kalimantan in 1960. In 1961, the party was dissolved after it had failed to fulfill the requirements of the government's new regulations regarding political parties.
The PPD was founded by a Dayak teacher, F. C. Palaunsoeka, in 1945. Initially known as Dayak in Action until 1946, the party backed the Netherlands in the Indonesian National Revolution and were some of the staunchest supporters of the Special Region of West Borneo, a state created by the Dutch. During the national revolution, the PPD grew rapidly as a result of its partnership with the Dayak Affairs Office, assistance from post-war governments, help from the missionary network, and the party's relatively united leadership. After the dissolution of the special region in 1950, the PPD kept a low profile and temporarily disappeared from provincial politics due to its former support of the Dutch during the national revolution. In 1955, the party returned to prominence as it contested and performed strongly in that year's elections, surprising many well-established rivals.
Following its victories at polls, the PPD formed an alliance with the Masyumi Party at the provincial level. Masyumi secured the position of speaker of the provincial parliament while the PPD secured two strategic provincial departments in return. However, during the 1959 election for the provincial executive head, the PPD cooperated with the Indonesian National Party.