POLITICAL parties were subject to severe restrictions under Soeharto's New Order government. The main New Order political grouping was Golkar, a coalition of professional and functional groups, civil servants and retired military officers set up in the early 1960s to counter the growing appeal of the Indonesian Communist Party (PKI). As a self-proclaimed political group rather than a political party, Golkar was not bound by the campaigning restrictions that applied to political parties, allowing it to develop a formidable electoral infrastructure, particularly in rural areas. From 1973 only two state-sanctioned opposition parties were permitted, the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI), a coalition of Christian and nationalist parties, and the United Development Party (PPP), a coalition of Muslim parties. These parties stood little chance against the privileged Golkar, and together mustered only 30% of the vote in parliamentary elections, leaving Golkar with an unassailable majority.
Golkar has now severed its formal ties to the bureaucracy and the military that helped it to maintain its hold on power, and is registered as a political party. Despite being tainted by its association with Soeharto's autocratic regime, the party's robust electoral infrastructure helped it to second place in the 1999 general election, and it remains a major political force. Three other parties emerged from the 1999 election in a strong position: the PDI-P, led by Ms Megawati; the PPP, led by Hamzah Haz; and the National Awakening Party (PKB), founded by Mr Wahid. A fourth, the National Mandate Party (PAN), led by Amien Rais, performed disappointingly, but has retained a degree of influence by collaborating with other Muslim parties, including the PPP and the Justice Party (PK).