Golkar

The Party of Functional Groups (Indonesian: Partai Golongan Karya, Indonesian pronunciation: ['partaɪ ɡoˈloŋan ˈkarja]), often known by its abbreviation Golkar (Indonesian: [ˈɡolkar]), is a centre to centre-right big tent secular-nationalist political party in Indonesia. Founded in 1964 as the Joint Secretariat of Functional Groups (Sekretariat Bersama Golongan Karya, Sekber Golkar), it is the oldest extant political party in Indonesia. It first participated in national elections in 1971 as Functional Groups. Since 2009, it has been the second-largest party in the House of Representatives (DPR), having won 102 seats in the latest election. Golkar served as the ruling political organisation during the New Order era under Suharto from 1971 to 1999, when it was formally reconstituted as a political party to participate in elections. Throughout this period, it held far-right political positions, maintained a de facto one-party state and supported Suharto's authoritarian rule. Following the Fall of Suharto in 1998, the party's dominance weakened, and its share of votes declined in the subsequent legislative election. Golkar then joined the governing coalitions of Presidents Abdurrahman Wahid and Megawati Sukarnoputri. The party regained its position as the largest party in the DPR after winning the 2004 legislative election, and its member Jusuf Kalla was elected as vice president. In 2009, Golkar nominated Kalla for president, but he was defeated by the incumbent Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY). When Joko Widodo (Jokowi) was elected president in 2014, Golkar initially joined the opposing coalition led by Prabowo Subianto, but in 2016, switched its allegiance to the Jokowi administration. In 2024, Golkar finished second in the legislative election and gained 102 seats, the party's best performance following a trend of declining seats since 2009. The party also remains in government as part of the governing Advanced Indonesia Coalition. For 53 years, Golkar has continued to be in...