Incumbency Advantage As a Basis of Party Coalition in Regional Heads Candidate Selection
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MIMBAR, Vol. 35 No. 1st (2019) pp. 78-88 Incumbency Advantage as a Basis of Party Coalition in Regional Heads Candidate Selection 1 2 3 CAROLINE PASKARINA, RINA HERMAWATI, NURAENI 1Universitas Padjadjaran, Jalan Bukit Dago Utara No. 25 Bandung, Indonesia, 23Universitas Padjadjaran, Jalan Raya Bandung-Sumedang Km. 21 Jatinangor, Indonesia, email: [email protected]; 2 [email protected]; [email protected] Abstract. Studies on the incumbency advantage have proven that incumbents remain strong candidates in the elections. However, these studies focused more on the incumbent figures as the main capital in winning votes. This article analyzes the incumbency advantage from different perspective as the basis for the formation of parties coalitions in local elections. Using a qualitative method, this article compares three regions in West Java, namely City of Cimahi, City of Tasikmalaya, and Regency of Bekasi to show how incumbent use their advantages in influencing the dynamics of candidate selection within political parties, especially in determining who will become their vice mayor/regent and mobilization strategies during the campaign period. Data is collected through in-depth interview with parties’ elites who were involved in candidate selection. Although not all incumbents in the three regions won, but the results of this research proved the dominance of incumbent in the formation of party coalitions due to their structural position in the party and their access to public resources. This finding confirms the importance of criticizing the practice of transactional politics in selecting the candidates in a figure-based political era. Keywords: incumbent advantage, candidate selection, local election Introduction Number 1 Year 2014 concerning the Election of Governors, Regents, and Mayors into Laws. This article analyzes whether This provision sets limits on the requirements incumbency advantage is used as basic for candidate pairs registration through reasoning for parties to form a coalition political parties, that is political parties or in candidate selection for regional head a coalition of political parties can register election. In general, party combination pairs of candidates if they have met the is often interpreted the same as party requirements of obtaining at least 20% of the coalition. Political coalitions are defined in seats of the Regional People‘s Representative two models: government coalitions and Council or 25% of the accumulated legal vote legislative coalitions (Ahmad, 2014; Cheibub, in the general election of members of the Przeworski, & Saiegh, 2004). The combined Regional People‘s Legislative Council in the practice of political parties that take place area concerned. Referring to the provision, in the context of regional head elections is the party coalition is initially formed to different from the concept of the political meet the requirements in the registration of coalition because the previous one is not candidates for regional head candidates. related to the formation of a government or certain policies in the legislature. In a multiparty system in Indonesia, only a small number of parties can submit The formation of party coalition in their own pairs of regional head candidates, regional head elections is a consequence of so that the formation of a joint party in the enactment of Article 40 (1) of Law No. nomination becomes a necessity in regional 8 of 2015 concerning Amendments to Law head elections. In addition to considering the Number 1 of 2015 concerning Determination constellation of political power, the formation of Government Regulations in lieu of Law Received: 2018-10-13, Revised: 2019-01-24, Accepted: 2019-05-29 Print ISSN: 0215-8175; Online ISSN: 2303-2499. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.29313/mimbar.v35i1.4129 Accredited S2 based on the decree No.10/E/KPT/2019 until 2024. Indexed by DOAJ, Sinta, Garuda, Crossreff, Dimensions 78 MIMBAR, Vol. 35 No. 1st (2019) of a joint party cannot be separated from the The various studies above show emergence of potential figures as candidates that in general, the success or failure of for regional heads, especially incumbents who incumbents is determined by many factors have distinct advantages. (Shomer, 2014; Sukmajati, 2017). Some of them are due to the factor of the level of The quality of candidate figures is still institutionalization of party systems. This first a dominant factor in mobilizing supporters’ factor is also related to party identification, votes in general elections (Shapiro, Miller, & where voters who choose certain political Shanks, 2006). Likewise, it also happens in parties tend to vote for candidates from those the context of regional head election which political parties. Second, the level of voter from the beginning is more centered on the participation. Experience from many countries candidate figures. Various criteria set by shows that the high rate of abstinence has a the party for the candidates are centered relationship with the re-election of incumbent on these figures of popularity, electability, candidates. Third, a view from the challenger and acceptability. The problem is, instead of side. Although the candidate is predicted to trying to form these three criteria on their lose, the ability factor of the challenger to cadres, political parties tend to be pragmatic conceptualize him or herself in facing the by looking for figures that already have all the incumbents’ advantage also greatly influences three criteria even though they are not cadres. the victory. Fourth, from the prospective In the 2017 concurrent regional of incumbent him or herself. Many cases head elections, there were 105 incumbent show that excessive self-confidence among candidates or approximately 31.16% of all potential incumbents turns out to be an competing candidate pairs (Sukmajati, 2017). attitude of disdain for the challenger and This number is indeed decreasing compared to results in incumbent failure. the simultaneous election of regional heads in However, a number of incumbency 2015, where 82.5% of candidates who fought advantages above seem to cause new were incumbents and 63.2% of them were re- problems. The problem is the pragmatic elected (Sukmajati, 2017). The percentage of attitude of most political parties that tend being re-elected seems to be the motivation to “play safe”. They arereluctant to compete for the high inclusion of incumbents in the against incumbents. Political parties tend next election period. The incumbent has a to do their own ‘pragmatic’ coalitions by great chance to win the election because of ignoring the ideological background of each a number of advantages they have (Gordon, party and supporting one who is none other S. C. & Landa, 2009; Stone, 2011). than the incumbent, without spawning other Studies of incumbency advantage that candidates from the cadres of each party. dominate the literature focus more on the This article analyses the incumbency explanation of factors that cause incumbents advantages from a different perspective, that to be re-elected (Ashworth, Bueno De is as the basis for the formation of a parties Mesquita, & Friedenberg, 2017; Gordon, S. C. coalition in the nomination of candidates in & Landa, 2009; Mayhew, 2008; Trounstine, simultaneous regional head elections. Using 2011). The main focus lies in the incumbent qualitative methods, this article compares itself, both in terms of personal quality and three regions in West Java, namely Cimahi performance (Carson, Engstrom, & Roberts, City, Tasikmalaya City, and Bekasi Regency 2007; Cox & Katz, 1996; Iskandar, 2015; to show how incumbents use their advantages Lestari, 2011; Stone, 2011; Sulistiyanto, to influence the dynamics of candidate 2009). selection in political parties, especially when Besides the personal side of incumbents, determining the vice pairs. the incumbency advantage is also analyzed The stage of candidacy is chosen as the from an institutional perspective which focus in this article because of the strategic links the incumbency advantage with the value of the power struggling that took institutionalization of parties and electoral place at this stage. Candidate selection is a systems (Dettman, Pepinsky, & Pierskalla, vulnerable phase with high costs because it 2017), the activities of legislature (Johannes involves exchanging resources, especially in & McAdams, 1981), changes in electoral the form of capital or money. The competition districts (Cover, 1977; Erikson, 1972; Lundell, that is actually formed in the candidate 2004), and the level of decentralization within selection phase is competition in terms of the party (Lundell, 2004). providing money to form popularity, as well Accredited by Sinta Rank 2 based on Ristekdikti No.10/E/KPT/2019 until 2023 79 CAROLINE PASKARINA, et al. Incumbency Advantage as a Basis of Party Coalition in Regional Heads Candi... as to obtain support from the party to be internal parties. Those informants located nominated (Saputra, 2018). in 3 regions: Cimahi City, Tasikmalaya City, and Bekasi Regency. These regions were A number of studies focusing on selected because they conducted concurrent candidate selection generally establish regional head election in West Java in 2017 political parties a unit of analysis because and the occurrence of incumbent as a strong candidate selection is the domain authority candidate for the winner is predicted to be of political parties. Practices occurred in re elected. Indonesia create different phenomena. Amid the declining