The Decline of the Hegemonic Party System in Indonesia: Golkar After the Fall of Soeharto (Author Abstract) (Report‪)‬

Golkar, or Golongan Karya (Functional Group) was the "state party" during the Soeharto era (1966-98). It dominated Indonesian politics, making the political system a "hegemonic party system". Two other parties, namely the Partai Persatuan Pembangunan (PPP, Development Unity Party) and the Partai Demokrasi Indonesia (PDI, Indonesian Democratic Party), were forced to accept a minor role. The strength of Golkar was overwhelming and there was no opportunity for "opposition parties" to share power, let alone assume power. The hegemonic party system in Indonesia lasted for about 27 years (1971-98) until it was eventually replaced by a multi-party system. After the fall of Soeharto, Golkar remained the largest political party following the 2004 elections, even though it gained only 21 per cent of the vote. However, it is no longer a hegemonic party, as other parties have emerged and share power with Golkar. This paper examines the end of the hegemonic party system and the rise of pluralism in Indonesian politics, how Golkar has managed to survive, its evolution from a Javanese dominated organization to an ethnically pluralistic party, its current leadership, its relationships with other political parties and its performances in the 1999 and 2004 elections. The problems and prospects of Golkar are also discussed. (1) Golkar and the Origin of the Hegemonic Party System