Politik, Legislatif, Dasar dan Tadbir Urus

By Yohanes Sulaiman In Indonesia, seven provinces, 76 districts and 18 cities, including Jakarta, are held simultaneous regional elections this week. But Indonesian democracy remains susceptible to illiberal tendencies, particularly when politicians use ethno-religious issues as a cudgel in campaigning, instead of their track records and policies. Many outsiders, including many Indonesians themselves, could perhaps be forgiven for being under the impression that only Jakarta will hold a ballot. That is because the current Game of Thrones-worthy drama involving incumbent governor Basuki Tjahja Purnama, also known as Ahok; his political rivals, Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono and Anies Baswedan; and their supporters, is sucking the air from everything else. There are several reasons why the Jakarta gubernatorial election is gripping the nation. First is the simple fact that Jakarta is one of the richest provinces in Indonesia, with an annual budget of more than 60 trillion rupiah (AU...

By Dwi Kiswanto Indonesia is getting set for one of the country’s most crucial political events this year, with seven provinces, 76 districts and 18 municipalities electing new leaders this Wednesday. These elections will help determine the nation’s faith in the future of local bureaucracies that are left in the hands of prominent elites currently battling it out in the political arena. The coverage of local elections, understandably, has captured the media’s attention and the public’s imagination, implying a scale up of political awareness in the state. Voters have been bombarded with an overwhelming number of campaigns and debates, the political instruments that have been most widely deployed to project candidates’ visions and programs. But it is Jakarta’s gubernatorial election that has been the most talked about, overshadowing other local votes. Why? The fact that Jakarta is the capital of the country not only indicates means that the political interests of actors and elites are...