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 2024 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 capacity of political parties, the In addition to in-depth interviews, data emergence of potential figures as candidates were also collected through non participatory is more promoted by institutions other than observations when researchers joined party political parties. Especially with the opening meetings or campaign teams to get a visual of opportunities for individual candidates to impression of the process and interactions participate in competing in regional elections, between actors at important moments in the figure-based politics and volunteer support selection of candidates. Observation is also actually play a greater role in the promotion an instrument of data triangulation so that of candidates. the validity of data obtained from interviews can be tested. Shin (2017) argued that the tendency to strengthen the candidate selection system The data obtained will then be analyzed that focuses on figures is caused by the based on the categories of data compiled context of democratic transition, where the referring to the formulation of the problem, system has the most chance of winning which consists of: (1) the profile of the candidates. The electoral system and the incumbents and the advantages they have, interrelated party system form the political and (2) the utilization of the superiority in context behind the strengthening of figure- determining candidate pairs. Interpretation based politics. According to him, there are of the data obtained is part of the analysis 3 factors that determine the choice of the to reveal how the incumbency advantages selection system, namely voter demands, became the basis for the formation of a political party access to resources, and the party coalition in candidacy for simultaneous electoral system choice in new democracies. regional elections in West Java in 2017. The This finding is in line with that proposed by analysis of the research questions is presented Carey & Shugart (1995), that candidate- through 2 (two) sections of discussion, first, centered system selection will be chosen when identification and analysis of sources of personal votes are stronger and the party has incumbency advantages, and second, analysis access to limited resources. of strategies used by incumbents in using their advantages to determine candidate pairs in Based on those assumptions, this article internal party candidate selection phase. is focusing on how the incumbency advantage is optimized as bases to form parties coalition in candidate selection. The aims are: first, to Results And Discussion identify the incumbency advantages used in that phase; and second, to analyze the utility Incumbency Advantages in Three of incumbency advantage in determining Regions candidate pairs in parties coalition. Studies of incumbency advantage seeks to reveal what factors create an opportunity Research Methodology for incumbents to be re-elected, which generally explains that incumbents have the This study uses a qualitative opportunity to win elections because they approach which aims to obtain in-depth have experience in their previous or existing and comprehensive information about how positions (direct officeholder), higher quality incumbent advantage becomes the basis for than challengers, and/or have access to the the formation of party coalitions in regional resources needed to mobilize support such head elections candidacy. To answer those as budgets, bureaucracy, etc. (Ashworth et problems, this study collected primary al., 2017; Cox & Katz, 1996; Spahn, 2011). data through in-depth interviews with 16 On the other side, the conceptualization informants, namely the campaign team of incumbency advantage also explains above (success team) and elite parties who have as the cause of the formation of coalitions important roles as decision-makers in their

80 ISSN 0215-8175 | EISSN 2303-2499 MIMBAR, Vol. 35 No. 1st (2019) in government. This perspective seeks to incumbency advantage has a variety of explain the incumbents’ effect based on two sources, both from the figure itself and from frameworks of argument. First, the one which outside the figure. The discussion in this emphasizes the reasons why ruling coalition section will outline the sources of incumbency partners might prefer to reshape coalitions; advantage in the 3 regions of study location, they even have considered coalition size and namely Cimahi City, Tasikmalaya City, and ideological compatibility. Second, the one Bekasi Regency. which emphasizes procedural excellence Cimahi City that can enhance the ability of the ruling government to reshape the coalition, given The figure of the incumbent who the desire of the coalition partners to do so competed in the 2017 Cimahi Mayor Election (Martin & Stevenson, 2010). This concept was Atty Suharti, mayor of the previous period. confirms that the incumbency advantage is She was the wife of the Cimahi former mayor also one of the considerations for parties Itoc Tochija. In the period of 2012-2017, Atty in forming coalitions and determining the Suharti was nominated by Partai Persatuan candidate pairs. Pembangunan (United Development Party or PPP), Golkar Party, Partai Kebangkitan Bangsa Political party's consideration in (National Awakening Party or PKB), and Partai determining which candidates to be supported Bulan Bintang (Crescent Star Party or PBB). is always associated with the advantages The deputy mayor in the first period was a owned by the candidates. Stone (2011) politician from Golkar Party, while Atty herself focuses on the opportunity for incumbent was a PPP cadre at that time. In the 2017 victory in voter preference for the capacity nomination period, Atty switched the party and capability they shown during their to Golkar and her partner was a politician tenure (direct advantages of being in office). from Partai Keadilan Sejahtera or Prosperous Stone saw the characteristics of incumbents Justice Party (Achmad Zulkarnain). The pair which related to leadership qualities, such is supported by Golkar, PKS, and Nasdem. as the character of personal integrity and performance and skills, ability to work with Changes in the configuration of the other leaders, understanding the problems, supporting party and the choice of partners and the ability to solve those problems. In from different parties are thought to be the line with Stone, Gordon and Landa (2009) result of the failure of Tochija family to seize a explained the supporting factors of incumbents number of important political positions in the to win including a number of sources that 2014 legislative elections. Itoc Tochija (Atty other candidates do not have. The first source Suharti's husband and former Cimahi Mayor is a good relationship between interest groups in 2007-2012) was not re-elected from PPP, and elites in the region, known as the direct while their two children also failed to win seats officeholder model. Second is the discount in the West Java House of Representative campaign. In this model, the incumbent does and Cimahi City House of Representative. not need to spend a lot of money to get him This caused Itoc Tochija and all his family elected again in the election and it shows the members quit the PPP and went to Golkar big names the incumbent has. Whereas, the Party., Itoc nominated his wife as mayor of third model is a district partisan bias, namely Cimahi in the 2017 regional head elections the tendency of incumbent supporting bases when he was a Chairman of the Golkar Party over certain areas resulting from incumbent in Cimahi. This strategic role of him showed performance and the proximity of incumbents that opportunities for incumbent advantage to elites within a particular domain. can be constructed by political actors outside the incumbent. Incumbency advantage is often associated with political dynasty, when incumbent figures come from families or clans Tasikmalaya City that have a long history of political power (Fiva & Smith, 2018). Incumbent candidates In the election of Mayor of Tasikmalaya, can obtain benefit because of their familial there were 2 incumbents who competed relationships with figures who have or are in for the position, namely Budi Budiman power, which are called inherited incumbency (incumbent mayor of the previous period) advantages (Smith & Martin, 2017) or dynasty and Dede Sudrajat (incumbent deputy mayor advantages (Feinstein, 2010). of the previous period). Both of them run in pairs with other figures. Interestingly, the Various concepts above show that two incumbents also have links to the leading

Accredited by Sinta Rank 2 based on Ristekdikti No.10/E/KPT/2019 until 2024 81 CAROLINE PASKARINA, et al. Incumbency Advantage as a Basis of Party Coalition in Regional Heads Candi... bus companies in Tasikmalaya City. In the educational institutions in the community. He previous period, Budi Budiman received full was awarded the best Indonesian Educational support from Mayasari Group, but in the Institution’s (LP3I) manager in 2010. In the simultaneous regional elections in 2017, religious field, Budi Budiman also established Mayasari Group shifted support to Asep the Attiyah Mosque and completed the project Hidayat. Asep Hidayat is a pediatrician who development of various places that became happens to be the son-in-law of Mayasari the icons and landmarks of Tasikmalaya city, Group family and officials at Mayasari Care such as the Great Mosque of Tasikmalaya, Foundation. Meanwhile, Budi Budiman was a Cikurubuk Market, Bale Kota, and Mayasari businessman who began his career in public Plaza. transportation business, and was also a Budi Budiman began his political continuing trader believable to hold a Suzuki career as a manager of the Tasikmalaya dealer in Tasikmalaya until he was trusted City branch Representative Council of PPP, to hold control of several companies under then a chairperson of the PPP’s branch the Mayasari Group (http://jurnalpriangan. Representative Council of Tasikmalaya in com/2016/10/06 / this is the profile of 2010-2015. In the 2007 regional election, businessmen-bus-going-forward-pilkada /, Budi became a candidate for mayor pairing accessed on 31 July 2017). The companies with Dr. Wahyu Sumawijaya from the experienced significant development. Budi Democrat Party for Deputy Mayor but they Budiman became a well known successful lost; and in the 2011 Regional Election, entrepreneur and his businesses developed Budi paired up with an entrepreneur, Dede into sectors of various automotive, property, Sudrajat, and won the election defeating the and construction. incumbent Syarief Hidayat at that time. Budi Budiman is also active in various professional, social, and religious organizations, including the Organisasi Bekasi Regency Angkutan Darat (Organda) or the land Neneng Hasanah Yasin was the transportation organization in Tasikmalaya, incumbent of Bekasi Regent in the previous the Sharia Economic Community (Masyarakat period. In the 2017 Bekasi Regent Election, Ekonomi Syariah or MES), the Badan Amil she was pairing with Eka Supria Atmaja, a Zakat (BAZ or Amil Zakat Agency) in Chairperson of Bekasi District Representative Tasikmalaya, the Tasikmalaya Regency Council, to compete for the regent position. Great Mosque Construction Committee, and Neneng Hasanah Yasin's political career so on. Budi Budiman also works in the field began in Kosgoro, a community organization of education by becoming a chairman in of affiliated with Golkar Party. Neneng Hasanah two institutions of Bojong Islamic Foundation once served as a Chairman of the 1957 which manages several formal and informal Kosgoro in Bekasi Regency, treasurer of the institutions, and the Tasikmalaya Educational Golkar DPD in West Java Province, treasurer Institution (LP3I) which has developed of National Committee of Sport in Bekasi rapidly and become one of the most popular District, and West Java Provincial Local

Table 1 Incumbency Advantages in Three Regions

Region Dynasty Advantage Party Advantage Other Resources Cimahi City Wife of former mayor Gain support through Bureaucracy, social candidacy promoted network by her husband as Chairman of Golkar Party in Cimahi Tasikmalaya City None Structural position in Bureaucracy, social PPP (Chairman of PPP network, business Branch Representative enterprise Council in Tasikmalaya) Bekasi Regency Daughter of a local Structural position in Bureaucracy, social businessman in Bekasi Golkar network, business enterprise

Source: Research Output, processed, 2019

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Parliament Members for the 2009-2014 regional head. Rahat and Hazan (2010; 2001; period. Her family background is also quite 2007) divided the candidate selection process supportive in shaping the modality of Neneng into two (2) dimensions, namely selectorate Hasanah in the political sphere. Neneng and candidacy. Selectorate is the body that Hasanah's parents are one of the leading selects candidates. According to Best and entrepreneurs in Bekasi Regency engaged in Costa (Hazan & Rahat, 2010), selectorate rice business (https://gobekasi.pojoksatu. is an important intermediary actor in the id/2015/10/10/orangtua-bupati-neneng- recruitment process. Selectorate can consist hasanah-yasin-dijuluki-ratu-proyek- this- of one person, several, or many people. reason/, accessed in October 10, 2018). The range starts from the inclusive to the exclusive, which determines how democratic The incumbents in the regional head the party is in determining the candidates it elections in Cimahi City, Tasikmalaya City, supports (Hazan & Rahat, 2010). and Bekasi Regency have similarities, namely the family background of the incumbents The second dimension is candidacy. which is not only strengthening their political Basically, candidacy is a discussion of who can capitals but also economic capital because of submit his or her candidacy in the process of access to resources in their respective regions. selecting candidates to be carried out by the In addition to access to economic resources party (Hazan & Rahat, 2010). The political through relationships with entrepreneurs, process takes place in this dimension explains incumbents also have advantages in terms of who can determine the candidate criteria, both access to public resources as a consequence in terms of capacity and personal characters. of their position as incumbents. These public The power relations in this dimension also resources become capitals to maintain cover a fairly wide range from those of an support from the people while strengthening inclusive manner to those of exclusive one patronistic relations with the party they lead. (Hazan & Rahat, 2010). As shown in Tabel 1, the three Selection of candidates, thus, becomes research locations showed similar findings an arena of power in which the parties, both in terms of sources of power which became candidates and political parties fight for their the superiority of incumbents, namely the interests. The discussion in this section will closeness to the previous ruling figure, which show how incumbents use their advantages turned out to still have a kinship relationship. as a bargaining position in both dimensions This confirms that dynastic and kinship of candidate selection. relations are an important source in shaping the superiority of incumbents (Aspinall & As’ad, 2016; Feinstein, 2010; Fiva & Smith, Cimahi City 2018). This relationship becomes the initial In an interview with the Chair of capital for incumbents to enter the political the Joint Team of Candidates for Atty and arena and enlarge its superiority by controlling Azul, the supporting party coalition has economic resources. The achievements of been explored since the beginning of the incumbents in government in the previous candidacy period. As an incumbent party, period gave formal legitimacy to the success Golkar was in a position to benefit from Atty‘s of incumbents in the public eye. This is the incumbency advantage, both in her position basis to strengthen the bargaining position as an incumbent and her close relationship of incumbents in internal party candidate with Itoc Tochija as the former mayor of selection (Paskarina, Hermawati, & Yunita, Cimahi in the previous period. In the early 2019); a political bargaining position that days of candidacy, efforts to win candidates is basically built on kinship politics and were focused on the selection of candidates mastery of patronistic resources (Gherghina for deputy mayor who could strengthen the & Volintiru, 2017; Manor, 2013). superiority of incumbents but would not exceed the incumbent's figure.

Utilizing Incumbents Advantages in From the interviews with Golkar Party Determining Vice Regional Head structural, it was revealed that the figure of Itoc Tochija was instrumental in determining the The discussion in this section will analyze deputy of mayor candidates. Azul was finally how incumbents optimized their advantages chosen as deputy candidate with a number of to influence the party's internal candidacy considerations. He was once an expert staff process, especially in determining the vice member in Cimahi City Government, had a

Accredited by Sinta Rank 2 based on Ristekdikti No.10/E/KPT/2019 until 2024 83 CAROLINE PASKARINA, et al. Incumbency Advantage as a Basis of Party Coalition in Regional Heads Candi... good academic background and a track record of the Golkar Party. In terms of determining in various community organizations that were the pair to be carried out, either in the position strong enough to foster a supporting base. of regent or deputy regent, the informant Determination of pairs of representative explained that the main consideration was candidates then underlies the formation of a the popularity of figures tested through coalition of supporting parties. surveys. In the survey, names that have been determined as partners compared to In the 2017 elections, 3 coalitions were the level of popularity. For example, if A formed:the coalition of Golkar, Nasdem, becomes regent and B as his vice/deputy, is and PKS carry the pair of Atty Suharti and his popularity higher than if B is positioned Achmad Zulkarnain; the Democratic party as regent and A as his vice/deputy? The and Gerindra coalitions that carry Asep Hadad final decision regarding the position of the and Irma Indriyani; the coalition of PKB, PPP, candidate is determined by the results of the Hanura, PAN, and PDIP carry the pair of Ajay survey. The informant provided an interesting Priatna and Ngatiyana. Those candidate pairs illustration of the 2004 Presidential Election came from different backgrounds, namely case, in which the figure popularity was not bureaucrats, politicians, academicians, always in sync with the popularity of the businessmen, and retired army officials. couple. The informant told that: "... during the 2004 presidential election, the survey results Tasikmalaya City showed that Megawati was the most popular for president because she had previously The emergence of 2 incumbents who served as president. While the most popular fought as a rival made the 2017 Tasikmalaya position for vice president is Hasyim Muzadi. regional head election a very interesting But, when surveyed as a couple, both were political event. The party coalition supporting defeated by the popularity of SBY-JK (Susilo the two incumbents also had relatively Bambang Yudhoyono and Jusuf Kalla). This balanced strengths. The superiority of the means that popularity as an individual is defense of Mayor Budi Budiman, aside from different when paired with other people ... " his position as incumbent, was more popular in the eyes of the public, as well as support from Although popularity is an important PPP as the dominant party in Tasikmalaya city. factor, electability also influences the The two incumbent candidates also fought candidacy. Electability is generally seen for PPP support since they emerged from the from the track record or performance in the same party, that is PPP. Budi was known to be government. The political contract between in PPP's Romi and Dede in Djan Farid's PPP. the Golkar Party and the cadres to be promoted as the Bekasi Regent candidate is In the end, the PPP decided to promote related to a number of things, including the Budi Budiman as the candidate for mayor. use of a more optimal Anggaran Pendapatan The decision was the result of the Branch dan Belanja Daerah (regional income and Leadership Meeting (Rapat Pimpinan Cabang) expenditure budget) to improve the quality of the party. The support was given to Budi of human resources, especially in the health Budiman who also served as Chair of the PPP’s sector (https: //news.okezone. com / read Branch Representative Council. This finding / 2016/07/28/338/1448843 / golkar-restui- emphasizes that the incumbency advantage neneng-hasanah-maju-pilkada-bekasi). is not only shaped by the performance in The points underlying this recommendation government, but also by political position in confirm the interests of political parties to the party. maintain their electability because candidates are the representations of political parties. Bekasi Regency This shows that the dynamics of candidacy are not merely a matter of figure-based politics, In an interview with the Golkar Party but also lead to the efforts of political parties Deputy Secretary for Legal Affairs of the to maintain their survival by obtaining the Regional Representative Council of West Java, benefits of electability from the figures they it was stated that the candidacy process was carry. carried out democratically with a reference to the party's regulations, in which candidacy In the 3 cases above, the incumbent was prioritized for party cadres. This is what uses his or her structural position in the party underlies the decision to carry Neneng Yasin as the main capital to determine the figure and Eka Suria Atmaja, both of which are cadres who will be his or her deputy. This finding reaffirms the centralistic and elitist character

84 ISSN 0215-8175 | EISSN 2303-2499 MIMBAR, Vol. 35 No. 1st (2019) of the candidate selection system that takes in the region and the popularity of the figure place internally within the party (Aragon, to be paired. This conclusion confirms the 2013; Close, Kelbel, & Kern, 2015; Hazan importance of criticizing the practice of & Rahat, 2010; Williams & Paun, 2011). transactional politics in candidate selection in Although incumbents as party elites play a the era of figure-based politics. Selection of major role in determining their vice pairs, candidates centered on figures should direct the popularity, electability, and capabilities the party to better prepare its cadres to have of the figures of their partners are also being high electability, which in turn will strengthen considered. In the Cimahi case, the advantage the party’s bargaining position when carrying of the vice-mayor candidate was one of the out candidate pairs in regional head elections. factors that caused the couple to still get Acknowledgement a vote even though the incumbent figure was arrested by the Corruption Eradication The author would like to thank Universitas Commission. Padjadjaran for funding this research, through Fundamental Research Scheme, as part of Unpad Internal Grants for Research inn 2017- Conclusions 2018. This article confirms that the dynastic politics and kinship relations of candidate(s) References are an important source in shaping the incumbency advantage. The performance Ahmad Malik, F., & Ahmad Malik, B. (2014). of incumbents in the previous period of Politics of Coalition in India (Vol. 2). officeholder gave formal legitimacy to the Online. Retrieved from http://jppgnet. success of incumbents in the public eye, which com/journals/jppg/Vol_2_No_1_ later became the basis for strengthening March_2014/1.pdf the bargaining position of incumbents in Aragon, F. (2013). Political Parties, Candidate the selection of internal party candidates. Selection, and Quality of Government. The The incumbency advantage in the three BE Journal of Economic Analysis & Policy, regions shows that the bargaining position 13(2), 783–810. https://doi.org/10.1515/ of incumbent candidates is basically built bejeap-2013-0036 on the politics of kinship and mastery of Ashworth, S., Bueno De Mesquita, E., & patronistic resources. The dominant role of Friedenberg, A. (2017). On the Incumbency candidate figures, especially incumbents, Advantage *. Retrieved from https://www. in the candidacy process has caused the iq.harvard.edu/files/iqss-harvard/files/ internal party’s selection mechanism to be advantage-incumbency-2017-04-07.pdf centralized and elitist. Incumbents who hold Aspinall, E., & As’ad, M. U. (2016). Understanding structural positions in party organization are family politics: Successes and failures of decisive in making decisions regarding who political dynasties in regional Indonesia. will pair up with him or her. This role is the South East Asia Research. https://doi. implication of incumbency advantage that org/10.1177/0967828X16659571 comes from access to resources, both in the Carey, J. M., & Shugart, M. S. (1995). form of public resources and networks with Incentives to cultivate a personal vote: private sectors which shape the economic A rank ordering ofelectoral formulas. modalities of incumbent candidates. Access Electoral Studies, 14(4), 417–439. to these resources is used as the capital by Carson, J. L., Engstrom, E. J., & Roberts, J. incumbents to maintain patronage relations M. (2007). Candidate quality, the personal with the party. vote, and the incumbency advantage in congress. American Political Science The direct method to elect the regional Review, 101(2), 289–301. https://doi. head has led the candidate selection system org/10.1017.S0003055407070311 to become candidate-centered. The regulation Cheibub, J. A., Przeworski, A., & Saiegh, S. that directs a party to form a coalition in M. (2004). Government coalitions and order to nominate candidates in regional head legislative success under presidentialism elections does not encourage parties to form a and parliamentarism. British Journal of permanent or based on ideological similarities Political Science. https://doi.org/10.1017/ coalition. Consideration in forming a party S0007123404000195 coalition is based more on the calculation of Close, C., Kelbel, C., & Kern, A. (2015). a number of seats in the parliament which Party crashers? How Belgian citizens view indicates the constellation of political power

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