Human Security in the Age of Electoral Democracy
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SOCIAL POLITIC International Journal DOI: 10.24910/jsustain/7.1/210 Sustainable Future for Human Security J-SustaiN Vol. 7 No. 1 (2020) 2-10 http://www.j-sustain.com APBD : Anggaran Pendapatan dan Belanja Daerah (Local Human Security in the Age Government Revenue and Expenditure), local government budget of Electoral Democracy: DPD : Dewan Pimpinan Daerah, the regional board of political parties DPR : Dewan Perwakilan Rakyat, People’s Politico-Business Alliances Representative Council DPRD : Dewan Perwakilan Rakyat Daerah, Regional in the Malang Regency, People’s Representative Council, regional legislature Indonesia Golkar : Golongan Karya, Functional Group Party a* Gerindra : Partai Gerakan Indonesia Raya, Greater Rika Kurniaty Indonesia Movement Party KPK : Komisi Pemberantasan Korupsi, Corruption aGraduate School of International Relations-Ritsumeikan University, Eradication Commission 56-1 Toji-in Kitamachi, Kita-Ku, Kyoto 603-8577, Japan KPUD : Komisi Pemilihan Umum Daerah, Regional b Brawijaya University, Jl. Veteran Malang, Malang 65141, General Elections Commission Indonesia MCW : Malang Corruption Watch LHKP : Laporan Harta Kekayaan Penyelenggara Negara, Received: November 30, 2018/ Accepted: August 21, 2019 State Administration Assets Report LKPJ : Laporan Keterangan Pertanggungjawaban, Abstract Government Accountability Statement PAN : Partai Amanat Nasional, National Mandate This study discusses the politico-business configuration of Party electoral democracy and its impact on human security in PDI-P : Partai Demokrasi Indonesia Perjuangan, Malang. Indonesia's reforms in the post-Soeharto era Indonesian Democratic Party-Struggle marked by implementing new institutions of democracy Pilkada : Pemilihan Kepala Daerah langsung, Direct through direct local elections (Pilkada), where people Election for Local Leaders acquire their rights to directly determine their executive PKB : Partai Kebangkitan Bangsa, National Awakening leader at both national and regional levels. Democracy Party institution is believed would naturally lead to greater human security. However, evidence -from the cases 1. Introduction experienced in Malang- reveals a different result. The introduction of democratic institutions harmed human Since the fall of authoritarian Suharto in 1998, Indonesia's security because predatory alliances hijacked it. Liberal political system has changed from an authoritarian and space as well as the opening up of elite competitions, centralistic regime to a decentralized democratic provided by democracy, interfered with local politics. government. Indonesia initiated various politico reforms, Both local politics and economic spheres were dominated and these changes included the introduction of a by political and business elite coalitions. Also, the multi-party system (there were hundreds of political parties sustainability of good governance and democratic established between 1998 and 1999, and 48 parties institutions tends to be dictated by the interests of these participated in the 1999 elections). The most significant predatory elite alliances. reform in Indonesia in the new democratization era was the Although there have been abundant studies on Indonesia’s decentralization policy formed during the reign of President democratization and decentralization, the problem of Bacharuddin Jusuf Habibie. New democratic institutions human security in the democratization process has rarely (i.e., free and fair direct local elections– Pemilihan Kepala been conducted. This study, therefore, aims to reveal the Daerah, Pilkada) that make it possible for people to practice of politico- business alliances in Malang that take influence the decision-making process- which affects over public resources and local budgets for their interests people's lives- were also introduced and put into effect in through the democratic institution. The significance of 2005. this study is an empirical contribution to develop an understanding of the process of how democratic institutions are hijacked by a few people (local elites) by * seizing regional resources and sacrificing human security. Corresponding Author E-mail: [email protected] Keywords: electoral democracy, human security, politico-business alliance, Malang Regency Abbreviations: Kurniaty, Rika/ J- SustaiN Vol. 7 No. 1 (2020) 2-10 After nearly 20 years of implementation, Regency, including how local elites utilize the democratic decentralization policy and democratization in Indonesia institution as a tool to achieve their interests that harm have shown varying results. Several studies on Malang people’s human security. contemporary Indonesia have explored and highlighted the The organization of this paper is divided into five parts. positive and negative aspects of Indonesia’s decentralization Following this introduction, the next section deals with the and democratization process [1][2][3][4][5][6]. In methodology of the study. The third section looks at the post-Suharto democracy, the power of predators previously framework of human security that provides a brief incubated under the New Order could survive and adapt to understanding of human security in the modern electoral the new democratic atmosphere [11]. Vedi R Hadiz and democratic institutions. The next section, elaborates and Richard Robison revealed that oligarch`s traces have long discusses the results of case study in the process of the been woven into the political structure of Indonesia [11]. If, politico-business alliance in the Malang Regency. Finally, during the Soeharto era, the oligarchs worked in an the last section discusses the general conclusion of the authoritarian system of government, in the current study. democratization era, they work in electoral systems, political parties, parliaments, and utilize money politics to 2. Methodology influence voter support [2][11][12]. In Indonesian modern democracy, some scholars This study employs qualitative research to a case study, and concluded that money politics has significantly colored the the principle of interpretivism as a methodology — the Pilkada. Money politics occurs in the form of direct or choice of the methods based on the case to look at the indirect methods (material objects are given instead of problem. It is limited by the dimensions of the location, the money). Besides, grassroots organizations have turned into actors and the subject, the focus and the substance under political vehicles of local elites to win the contestation [3][1]: study. electoral fraud, money politics, rent-seeking, patronage politics, and the politico business coalition have endemic to The case study in the Malang Regency, with the local the political realm [4] [7] [8] [10] [13]. Also, expensive business elites and local government leaders/ bureaucrats as political costs have caused the involvement of the business the object of the study. The topic chosen limited to the form elite in Indonesia's electoral process. of business-political relations between the local elites in the Several scholars have reviewed this involvement of Malang Regency. business actors in Indonesia’s democratization system. This study is grounded in data from intensive fieldwork. Nevertheless, although there have been studies discussing Primary data were obtained from direct observations, the Indonesian business political alliance, it has not been interviews with competent critical stakeholders involved in sufficiently studied on business elites who choose to be the policy process. Interviews were addressed to local ‘actors behind the scenes.’ Discussions and studies of political elites, government bureaucrats, local staff, local business-political relations in Indonesia are usually trapped observers (academics, NGOs, and community-based in the discourse of business elites who immediately engaged organization leaders and activists), local businesspeople, in politics: (e.g., Surya Paloh, Jusuf Kalla, Aburizal Bakrie, political consultants, and residents affected by the and Hari Tanoe) [14] [15]. The studies related to business government's policy choices. Secondary data was found and politics are still very narrow, especially at the local level. from documents of a local development planning agency The type of business elites behind the scenes that support including, for example, regional budget expenditure reports, certain candidates in the local elections has received less the Malang Corruption Watch’s documents, and press attention than those who are directly involved in politics as releases, State Administration Assets Report, documents political actors. from the regional election commission and the election Therefore, this paper attempts to fill in the gaps in the supervisory body. This includes data from literature sources study: politico-business elites and argues that discussion in the form of books, previous research, as well as data from about local politics requires also another picture by both print and electronic mass media related to the Malang scrutinizing the business elites that ‘play’ behind the scenes case study. in the political realm. The article focuses on the configuration of a political business alliance in the Malang 3. Electoral Democracy and Human Regency in the era of electoral democracy. Similar to some Security Framework other regions in Indonesia, local politics in the Malang Regency is also characterized by strong connections Democracy and Human Security have vital links. Many between political and business elites that produce negative scholars are optimistic that