In Indonesia, party of Suharto steps out of dicTator’s shadow
The Golkar Party has never been a beacon of moral leadership, but the party would have squandered every last shred of its credibility by electing Siti Hedijati “Titiek” Suharto as its new leader this week.
From the get-go, the prospect of Titiek being crowned chief of Golkar –which props up Indonesia’s ruling coalition – seemed like a long shot and her nomination appeared to be a public relations stunt. But in a party known for shady backroom deals, the prospect of a member of the Suharto family taking back control of the party was very real.
Founded by former dictator Suharto to serve as his political vehicle, Golkar has never been able to escape the shadow of the strongman’s often brutal rule. The post-Suharto reform era saw the party still led by Suharto loyalists – such as Akbar Tanjung, Aburizal Bakrie and Agung Laksono. Akbar served as a minister under Suharto, while Aburizal’s success in business owed to Suharto’s patronage. Golkar’s journey would have come full circle had it elected Titiek as its first female leader.
In the end, Golkar unanimously chose Airlangga Hartarto as the new party chairman to succeed Setya Novanto, who is facing graft charges. Yet critics point out that Airlangga’s father served under Suharto, so the election of the son is hardly a clean break with the party’s dark past.
Optimists counter that Airlangga is a relatively credible figure with a “clean” political track record and thus signals that change is possible for Golkar.
The fact that Airlangga does not come from one of the four major factions within the party is another indication that a party transformation could be underway. Add that he is viewed as representing young politicians in Golkar, and Airlangga is the best of all possible options for a party trying to win back trust from voters.
While many political parties in Indonesia are controlled by family dynasties – both the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle and the Democratic Party are guilty here – Golkar has bucked the trend with regular elections for party leadership, making it the most “modern” party we have.
Given the massive network it has boasted since the days of Suharto’s New Order, Golkar is the most effective vehicle for any politician to accomplish their goals. Jusuf Kalla became vice president after he took over Golkar leadership, while Aburizal’s business thrived while he was party chairman only to suffer when he lost the post.
That massive network means Golkar can also be a force for national good, and after the positive move in electing Airlangga, the logical step forward for the party would be to support President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s re-election in 2019.
Other than being a reform-minded politician, Jokowi is also a hugely popular president, yet is only half-heartedly supported by his own party. His ally Golkar now has an opportunity to ride the wave of Jokowi’s populism toward respectability – and a revival of its own political fortunes.
