Megawati's PDI-P party had won the largest share of the vote ( 34 %) in the general election, while Golkar, the dominant party during the Soeharto era, came in second ( 22 %).

From this position, Suharto had the supreme power in Golkar while leaving the day-to-day running of Golkar to the chairman.

Out of the four people that served as Golkar Chairman during the New Order, three had a military background.

The MPR would not ratify the accountability speech and it was revealed that some Golkar members had voted against ratifying the speech.

Although PDI-P had won the legislative elections, Golkar joined forces with the Central Axis, a political coalition put together by MPR Chairman Amien Rais, to nominate and successfully secure the election of Abdurrahman Wahid as President.

Much like those who had supported Wahid, Golkar would grow disillusioned with Wahid.

Unlike the other political parties who had one person as their presidential candidate from the start, Golkar had five.

His own Democratic Party had only won 7 % in the Legislative Elections and even combined with other parties who had aligned themselves with the new Government, they still had to contend with the Legislative muscles of Golkar and PDI-P who now intended to play the role of opposition.

With a National Congress to be held in December 2004, Yudhoyono and Kalla had originally backed Head of DPR Agung Laksono to become Golkar Chairman.

There was also complains by Wiranto who claimed that some months earlier, Yudhoyono had promised to support him if he runs for the Golkar Chairmanship.

Akbar, who had expected to win a second term as Golkar Chairman was defeated with 30 % of the votes.

In the 1997 election, by 9pm on the day after voting, Golkar had already been awarded 94 % of its eventual vote.

For the national parliament, Indonesian Democratic Party-Struggle ( PDI-P, led by Sukarno's daughter Megawati Sukarnoputri ) won 34 % of the vote ; Golkar ( Suharto's party ; formerly the only legal party of government ) 22 %; United Development Party ( PPP, led by Hamzah Haz ) 12 %; and National Awakening Party ( PKB, led by Abdurrahman Wahid ) 10 %.

Suharto's alignment with Golkar paid dividends when Golkar won 62 % of the votes and an overwhelming majority in the People's Representative Council ( DPR ).

In subsequent New Order legislative elections, Golkar won 62 % ( 1977 ), 64 % ( 1982 ), 73 % ( 1987 ), 68 % ( 1992 ), and 74 % ( 1997 ).

In 1999, Golkar lost it first legislative elections to Megawati Sukarnoputri's PDI-P. Golkar won 20 % of the votes and was the runner-up in the legislative elections.

For the remainder of the New Order, Golkar won absolute majorities at every elections, while the parliament did not produce a single law on its own initiative, its role being reduced to passing laws proposed by the government.

All elections in this period were won by Golkar.

To ensure that Golkar always won more than 60 percent of the popular vote, the New Order regime used a number of tactics.

In April 2000, Jusuf Kalla, a Golkar member who held position as Minister of Industries and Trade was sacked from his position.

In April 2004, Golkar held a national convention to decide who would become Golkar's candidate for President.

On 20 April 2004, the Golkar Convention voted to nominate him for President over DPR Speaker Akbar Tanjung in the second round of voting.

Golkar declared on February 4, 1970 that it would be participating in the 1971 legislative elections.

The 1971 legislative election was a success for Golkar and Suharto.

Golkar continued to dominate Indonesian politics well beyond the 1971 legislative elections.

After the 1977 and 1997 legislative elections, there were claims of electoral fraud launched by the, who together with Golkar were the only legal political parties after 1973.

Such discontent enabled Golkar to emerged victorious in the 2004 legislative elections with 21 % of the votes.

PPP received 8. 1 % of the vote in the 2004 legislative elections, a decrease from its 10. 7 % share of the vote in 1999, but enough to retain its place as the third-best represented party in the legislature, behind PDI-P and Golkar.

After the 1977 legislative election, in which there was alleged electoral fraud by Suharto's Golkar organization, Nasution said that there was a crisis in leadership in the New Order.

With Kalla's election as Chairman of Golkar, Golkar defected onto the Government's side, leaving PDI-P as the only major opposition party in the DPR.

Despite losing these elections Golkar was still able to secure the Tanjung's election as Head of DPR.

Golkar, however, was unable to stop the election of Megawati as the Vice President.

* Article on the politicking leading up to Kalla's election as Golkar Chairman

Based on the final allocation of seats in the People's Representative Council, Golkar, the Indonesian Democratic Party – Struggle, the National Awakening Party, the United Development Party, the Democratic Party, the Prosperous Justice Party, and the National Mandate Party were qualified to submit candidates for the country's first direct presidential election later in the year.

According to his electoral rules, however, only three parties were allowed to participate in the election: his own Golkar party ; the Islamist United Development Party ( PPP ), and the Democratic Party of Indonesia ( PDI ).

Golkar then joined this coalition after Habibie's accountability speech was rejected and he withdrew from the race.

In October 1978, after his re-election to a 3rd term, Suharto further consolidated his control of Golkar by being elected Chairman of the Executive Board ( Ketua Dewan Pembina ), a position whose authority supersedes even the party chairman.

In the contest that followed, Akbar Tanjung emerged as the new Chairman of Golkar after beating Army General Edi Sudrajat.

On 9 May, Golkar selected Salahuddin Wahid ( also known as Gus Solah ) as its vice presidential candidate after an endorsement was made by his brother Abdurrahman.

The PPP came second, after the government sponsored Golkar organization in the elections of 1977 and 1982, but in 1984, the new NU chairman Abdurrahman Wahid ( also known as Gus Dur ), the son of Wahid Haschim, withdrew the NU from the PPP because of dissatisfaction with the NU's lack of influence.

Golkar, PDI, and PPP were the only parties allowed to contend elections with the latter two prevented from forming an effective opposition.

On June 18, 1998 the committee held a meeting with NU and continued hearings with political figures ( NU ) in Golkar, PDI and PPP.

Seven political parties met these criteria: the Party of the Functional Groups ( Golkar ), the Indonesian Democratic Party – Struggle ( PDI – P ), the National Awakening Party ( PKB ), the United Development Party ( PPP ), the Democratic Party ( PD ), the Prosperous Justice Party ( PKS ), and the National Mandate Party ( PAN ).

However, Kalla soon became the party chairman of Golkar in late 2004 and turned the party's votes in the People's Representative Council ( DPR ) to those in favor of the government, creating an effective bloc and leaving Megawati's PDI – P as the largest non-government party in the DPR.

In accordance with the legislation, these were contested by three groups ; Golkar, the PPP and the PDI.

The Government became worried that with PDI struggling to function as a party, Indonesian society would be polarized into a secular camp ( Golkar ) and an Islamic camp ( PPP ).

Here the PPP and PDI members stopped, knowing that their motion would be defeated because of by Golkar dominance.

All the previously existing political parties were forced to be part of either the PPP and PDI, with public servants under pressure to join the membership of Golkar.