Have Direct Local Elections Consolidated the Oligarchy of Parties in Indonesia?
Nankyung Choi, Nanyang Technological UniversityThis paper examines the patterns of party politics in Indonesia’s first-ever direct local elections. Since June 2005, Indonesia has been holding direct elections of local government heads – i.e., provincial governors, district regents, and municipal mayors. Observers have debated whether direct local elections have contributed to local democratization, like what advocates argued for, or only consolidated the oligarchy of parties, as only political parties can nominate candidates for local government heads. Original research in six localities suggests a more complex, and in some regards, surprising calculus. In particular, the author’s research suggests local elections have weakened political parties in local politics, despite their monopoly over the electoral process, including the nomination of candidates. These results are discussed in light of ongoing theoretical debates on democracy and decentralization in Southeast Asia.
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