Indonesian politics will always be shaped by the Golkar Party regardless of the regime or president. As Indonesia’s own Grand Old Party, Golkar is a survivor and has managed to adapt to whatever changes the country has faced.

Golkar was supposed to go down with the fall of Suharto and his New Order regime in 1998, and lose its relevance as Indonesia embraced an open and democratic political system. However, against all odds, it won the most votes in the 2004 legislative election.

During former president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono’s era, Golkar dominated talks regarding public policy — from the formation of the cabinet to fuel price increases.

Only Golkar represents a modern political party in which politicians can work their way up the ladder. The others are family- or personality-run.

The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) is run by the Sukarno dynasty, while the Democratic Party is the private property of the Yudhoyono family. The Great Indonesia Movement Party (Gerindra) belongs to Prabowo Subianto, while the National Awakening Party (PKB) is linked to former president Abdurrahman “Gus Dur” Wahid’s family and Nahdlatul Ulama.

Leaders of those parties can’t come from outside the respective cliques. As popular as President Joko Widodo is, he can’t become the PDI-P chairman.

As a party with a healthy regeneration process, Golkar has borne members who have gone on to high posts in other parties. National Democrat Party (NasDem) chairman Surya Paloh, for instance, is a former Golkar official. So is Home Minister Tjahjo Kumolo, now of the PDI-P.

A combination of skilled personnel and party machinery allows Golkar to dominate politics and policy. We can only pray the best person will come out as the party’s leader at its congress in Bali.