Golkar

The Party of the Functional Groups (Indonesian: Partai Golongan Karya) is a political party in Indonesia. Originally known as Sekber Golkar (Sekretariat Bersama Golongan Karya, or Joint Secretariat of Functional Groups).

Golkar was the ruling party from 1973 to 1999, under Suharto's New Order regime (1966-98) and the brief presidency of B. J. Habibie (1998-99). It had been a part of the ruling coalition of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's ruling coalition since 2004. In 2014 Yudhoyono was succeeded by President Joko Widodo.

Origins

In 1959, President Sukarno introduced his concept of Guided Democracy, in which so-called functional groups would play a role in government in place of political parties. The Army supported this because it believed these groups would balance the growing strength of the Communist Party of Indonesia (PKI). In 1960, Sukarno awarded groups such as teachers, the Army, workers and artists seats in the Mutual Cooperation - People's Representative Council. As some of these functional groups were linked to political parties, this gave the army political influence. The Army then established an anti-PKI trade union, the Central Organization of Indonesian Workers, or Soksi (Sentral Organisasi Karyawan Swadiri Indonesia), and used this as the core of an Army-led Joint Secretariat of Functional Groups, or Sekber Golkar, which was officially established on October 20, 1964. By 1968 there were almost 250 organizations under the Sekber umbrella. On November 22, 1969 they were organized into seven main organizations, or Kino (Kelompok Induk Organisasi), namely Soksi, Hosgoro (Union of Mutual Cooperation Multifunction Organizations), MKGR (Mutual Assistance Families Association), Gerakan Karya Rakjat (People's Working Movement), Ormas Hankam (Defense and Security Mass Organizations), Professi (professional organizations), and Gerakan Pembangunan (Development Movement).