Elections And Political Mobility.
ELECTIONS AND POLITICAL MOBILITY
By : Muradi
After the gubernatorial election in Aceh, Jakarta and West Java will
follow suit. The elections in Jakarta (to be held in the coming months) and
West Java (next year) have drawn public attention due to the fact that the
incumbents will take on contenders from other regions and local leaders.
Jakarta voters were surprised by the candidacy of Joko “Jokowi”
Widodo and his running mate Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama and the pair
of South Sumatra governor Alex Noerdin and former Marine Corps
commander Nono Sampono. The first ticket is nominated by the Indonesian
Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), the Great Indonesia Movement Party
(Gerindra) and 27 political parties that are not represented in the City
Council, while the second is supported by a coalition of the Golkar Party, the
United Development Party (PPP) and the Peace Prosperous Party
(PDS). Jokowi is the mayor of Surakarta and Ahok was formerly the regent of
East Belitung in Bangka-Belitung before his election to the House of
Representatives (DPR) in 2009.
In West Java, a number of reigning regents have announced their bid
to enter the gubernatorial race. Cirebon Regent Dedi Supardi, Sumedang
Regent Don Murdono and Kuningan Regent Aang Hamid Suganda will fight
each other to win endorsement from the PDI-P. Bandung Mayor Dada Rosada
will seek support from President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono’s Democratic
Party. Golkar’s West Java chairman Irianto “Yance” MS Syafiuddin, a twotime Indramayu regent, has openly announced his quest for the governor
post, claiming to have secured the blessing of Golkar boss Aburizal
Bakrie. Newly dismissed Subang regent Eep Hidayat once intended to join
the race, but his imprisonment has all but dashed any hope of running.
Incumbent Governor Ahmad Heryawan of the Prosperous Justice
Party (PKS) and his deputy, Dede Yusuf, of the Democratic Party, will almost
certainly take part in the 2013 election as rivals. However, there are three
interesting points related to the rise of the local leaders in the upcoming West
Java gubernatorial election. The first is the political regeneration process,
where local leaders who succeed in leading their regions are promoted to a
more strategic or higher post like governor of Jakarta and West Java.
Jokowi is known as the “most wanted” cadre of the PDI-P and Ahok
of Gerindra is also remembered as a successful regent of East Belitung. Golkar
picked Alex as its candidate for the Jakarta election also due to his
commendable performance as South Sumatra governor. The second is
political parties’ commitment to the improvement of internal political
education, which in the past failed to produce quality candidates for public
posts.
The writer is a lecturer of the Government Department at Padjadjaran University, Bandung.
Address: Kompleks Margahayu Raya, Jl. Saturnus Utara No. 47, Bandung. Contact number:
022-7561828 or 081384330813 (mobile). Email : muradi_clark@unpad.ac.id. BCA Account No.
111-111-0781
In many elections for the regent and deputy regent posts and the
legislative elections, political parties were tempted to nominate celebrities
with a hope to win votes via their popularity. The third point is about the
political mobility process where successful local leaders are given
opportunities to try their best to win seats in strategic and greater regions.
There are many reasons behind such political mobility, including personal
interest and the skills of cadres, along with a combination of political and
financial interests of parties. I notice, however, the rise of candidates for the
gubernatorial elections in Jakarta and West Java are limited to political
mobility based on short-term political interests.
However, the political machine for the election process is not
completely controlled by the central board of each political party, but is also
related to the electability level of the local candidates. The problem is that
their ability and electability in greater and more strategic regions has not yet
been proven.
The positive and appreciated effort of the local leaders, however, is in
their eagerness to strengthen the democratic process. They show that the local
democracy in Indonesia works dynamically and responds positively to
people’s demand for alternative leaders. To be a leader, one should not only
rely on fame and money, but also performance within a political party.
The presence of candidates from the regions, promoted by political
parties, for the upcoming gubernatorial elections in Jakarta and West Java is a
lesson for political parties to seriously improve their internal political
education. They have to develop a new mechanism that provides their
cadres with equal opportunities to contest public posts. Once they succeed in
local levels, they will have the opportunity to compete in a bigger and more
strategic political stage like the Jakarta gubernatorial election in July this year.
By : Muradi
After the gubernatorial election in Aceh, Jakarta and West Java will
follow suit. The elections in Jakarta (to be held in the coming months) and
West Java (next year) have drawn public attention due to the fact that the
incumbents will take on contenders from other regions and local leaders.
Jakarta voters were surprised by the candidacy of Joko “Jokowi”
Widodo and his running mate Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama and the pair
of South Sumatra governor Alex Noerdin and former Marine Corps
commander Nono Sampono. The first ticket is nominated by the Indonesian
Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), the Great Indonesia Movement Party
(Gerindra) and 27 political parties that are not represented in the City
Council, while the second is supported by a coalition of the Golkar Party, the
United Development Party (PPP) and the Peace Prosperous Party
(PDS). Jokowi is the mayor of Surakarta and Ahok was formerly the regent of
East Belitung in Bangka-Belitung before his election to the House of
Representatives (DPR) in 2009.
In West Java, a number of reigning regents have announced their bid
to enter the gubernatorial race. Cirebon Regent Dedi Supardi, Sumedang
Regent Don Murdono and Kuningan Regent Aang Hamid Suganda will fight
each other to win endorsement from the PDI-P. Bandung Mayor Dada Rosada
will seek support from President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono’s Democratic
Party. Golkar’s West Java chairman Irianto “Yance” MS Syafiuddin, a twotime Indramayu regent, has openly announced his quest for the governor
post, claiming to have secured the blessing of Golkar boss Aburizal
Bakrie. Newly dismissed Subang regent Eep Hidayat once intended to join
the race, but his imprisonment has all but dashed any hope of running.
Incumbent Governor Ahmad Heryawan of the Prosperous Justice
Party (PKS) and his deputy, Dede Yusuf, of the Democratic Party, will almost
certainly take part in the 2013 election as rivals. However, there are three
interesting points related to the rise of the local leaders in the upcoming West
Java gubernatorial election. The first is the political regeneration process,
where local leaders who succeed in leading their regions are promoted to a
more strategic or higher post like governor of Jakarta and West Java.
Jokowi is known as the “most wanted” cadre of the PDI-P and Ahok
of Gerindra is also remembered as a successful regent of East Belitung. Golkar
picked Alex as its candidate for the Jakarta election also due to his
commendable performance as South Sumatra governor. The second is
political parties’ commitment to the improvement of internal political
education, which in the past failed to produce quality candidates for public
posts.
The writer is a lecturer of the Government Department at Padjadjaran University, Bandung.
Address: Kompleks Margahayu Raya, Jl. Saturnus Utara No. 47, Bandung. Contact number:
022-7561828 or 081384330813 (mobile). Email : muradi_clark@unpad.ac.id. BCA Account No.
111-111-0781
In many elections for the regent and deputy regent posts and the
legislative elections, political parties were tempted to nominate celebrities
with a hope to win votes via their popularity. The third point is about the
political mobility process where successful local leaders are given
opportunities to try their best to win seats in strategic and greater regions.
There are many reasons behind such political mobility, including personal
interest and the skills of cadres, along with a combination of political and
financial interests of parties. I notice, however, the rise of candidates for the
gubernatorial elections in Jakarta and West Java are limited to political
mobility based on short-term political interests.
However, the political machine for the election process is not
completely controlled by the central board of each political party, but is also
related to the electability level of the local candidates. The problem is that
their ability and electability in greater and more strategic regions has not yet
been proven.
The positive and appreciated effort of the local leaders, however, is in
their eagerness to strengthen the democratic process. They show that the local
democracy in Indonesia works dynamically and responds positively to
people’s demand for alternative leaders. To be a leader, one should not only
rely on fame and money, but also performance within a political party.
The presence of candidates from the regions, promoted by political
parties, for the upcoming gubernatorial elections in Jakarta and West Java is a
lesson for political parties to seriously improve their internal political
education. They have to develop a new mechanism that provides their
cadres with equal opportunities to contest public posts. Once they succeed in
local levels, they will have the opportunity to compete in a bigger and more
strategic political stage like the Jakarta gubernatorial election in July this year.