Eko Adi Prasetya

16/404017/PSP/05690
Leadership and Local Government Election Linkage Program MAP UGM

Democratization has not only brought changes to the national electoral system. All executive and
legislative officials at all levels of government in Indonesia are now directly and popularly chosen by the
people in different elections. There are four kinds of election in Indonesia. First, the legislative election for
members of the National Peoples Representative Council (Dewan Perwakilan Rakyat DPR), the National
Regional Representative Council (Dewan Perwakilan Daerah DPD), and the Local Regional Peoples
Representative Councils at the Provincial level and City/Region level (Dewan Perwakilan Rakyat Daerah
DPRD Provinsi and DPRD Kota/Kabupaten) throughout Indonesia. Second, the presidential election (for
president and vice president). This first elections was held in 2004 and now occurs every five years. Third,
the election for governors at the provincial level. The gubernatorial election began with the enactment of
Law 32/2004 on Local Government. The law requires that the head and the deputy head of local
governments should be directly elected by local people. Fourth, the mayoral or head of district election.
The election is held every five years to elect a pair of candidates for mayor and vice mayor at the city
(Kota) level or a pair of bupati and vice bupati at the regency (kabupaten) level. It is held separately from
other kinds of election. The contestants in this election can be both individuals nominated by political
parties and individuals without political party support (independents). Like the presidential and
gubernatorial elections, this election started in 2005 in 189 districts. Even though the majority of this
election influences by political parties but many case studies underline that personal characteristics, and not
party affiliation, as important for voters choice of district head (e.g. Sulistiyanto and Erb, 2009;
Pratikno,2009). Today, Indonesia conduct simultaneous election models, this is the first time in Indonesia
even in the world. There will be 269 regions consisting of 9 provinces, 36 cities and 224 regencies
simultaneously elect regional heads. After the elections simultaneously in 2015 in 269 regions, there will
be followed by a second wave of simultaneous elections in February 2017 in 99 regions, the third wave in
June 2018 in the 171 regions. Then another one wave will be implemented simultaneously again until
towards the national elections in 2027. According Dirgantara (2015), there are eight crucial obstacles in the
implementation of the first wave of simultaneous elections: high intensity of conflict, neutrality of regional
election organizers, list of permanent voters, dualism of management of political parties, doll candidates,
political dynasty, money politics, violations and dispute of election

Long democratization process forces central government to share their power to district or
municipalities. Most power at the district level is in the hands of the district leader, who sets the priorities
for the budget, including the levels and types of spending, and is responsible for its execution.
Moreover, the ultimate power rests with the district leader in cases of disputes between the district leader
and the DPRD (Niazi, 2012). As consequences leadership become crucial issue regarding decentralization
and democratization process. Borraz and John (2004) in Bochel (2010), stated Leadership is crucial to the
functioning and success of local governance. Supported by Haus and Sweeting (2006) in Bochel (2010)
brief that leadership is closely linked with issues of local governance, with multi-actor networks seeking to
address social problems, thus reecting governmental narratives around the role of leadership, community
leadership and partnership arrangements. Furthermore, leadership also very essential factor to make
government institution more dynamic. At least, there are two roles of leadership in ensuring the
sustainable reform for the organization. First, in the macro level, good leaders are those who are able to
endorse new ideas, fresh perceptions, continual upgrading, quick actions, flexible adaptations and creative
innovations. Second, in a micro level, leadership can only be effective whenever it is able to provide with
outstanding behavior and concrete examples. By practicing walk the talk principle, a leader is more likely
to develop dynamic and effective followership.

In decentralization era in Indonesia the election of local leader conducted by directly election to
choose mayor (walikota) or regent (Bupati). This process can create pressures for directly elected mayors
or regents to increased strategic leadership at different local levels (University of Warwick, 2012) in Bud
(2016). There are ve reasons for these pressures:
 Eko Adi Prasetya
16/404017/PSP/05690
Leadership and Local Government Election Linkage Program MAP UGM

A response to the rise of the network society that otherwise disperses responsibility and a demand
for greater accountability from political leaders.
An attempt to reinvigorate democratic politics and civic engagement in the face of apparently
widespread political apathy.
A localist and decentralizing reaction against the rise of the centralizing power.
The realization by some local politicians in certain areas that they can make the most impact
through elected mayors, not traditional party politics.
The return of personality to the political agenda in place of depersonalized party systems.

Reference:

Budd, Leslie and Sancino, Alessandro (2016). A Framework for city leadership in multilevel governance
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Choi, Nankyung (2007). Indonesias Direct Local Elections: Background And Institutional Framework. Singapore.
S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies.

Filipe Teles (2015). Local political leaders and context awareness: identifying perceptions of autonomy and efficacy,
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Sampe, Stefanus (2015). Political Parties and Voter Mobilisation in Local Government Elections in Indonesia: the
case of Manado City. Australia. University of Canberra.

Vivien Lowndes & Steve Leach (2004) Understanding Local Political Leadership: Constitutions, Contexts and
Capabilities, Local Government Studies, 30:4, 557-575, DOI: 10.1080/0300393042000333863