Af Sigit Rochadi, Diana Fawzia, Ganjar Razuni

Mobilization and Control: Ethnic Political in Local Parliament Members Election in Indonesia

Introduction

Mobilization and control: ethnic political in local parliament members election in indonesia. Examine ethnic political mobilization & control in Indonesian local parliament elections. Learn how ties, money politics, colonial legacy, & decentralization shape political power, using Batam City as a case.

Abstract

This research aims to describe and analyze the mobilization and control of ethnic ties in politics.Ethnic mobilization is prevalent in the era of Indonesian democracy, specifically at local level, as evidenced by the increasing demands for forming new autonomous regions. Various regions implement restrictions on labor externally and prioritize local ethnicities to become civil servants. These phenomena give rise to paguyuban, showing ethnic communities, and political mobilization. Therefore, this study aimed to discuss the phenomena of ethnic mobilization in Batam City, Indonesia. The city has become an industrial region crowded with local and foreign companies, exhibiting contrasting phenomena, such as industrialization, democracy, and ethnic mobilization. Data was collected by interviewing leaders of the North Sumatra Family Association ethnic community, Chair of the Malay Traditional Institution, East Java Community Association, leaders of political parties and members of local parliament (Golkar Party, PDIP, PKS, PSI). The result showed that ethnic mobilization in Indonesian local political occurs by activating differences through politicians. Paguyubans are controlled by leveraging ties, indebtedness, and money political. It persists due to the inheritance from the Dutch colonial government, decentralization that motivates the diversification of local elites, and the needs of local elites to attain political positions. Furthermore, ethnic political is not a phenomenon unique to new democratic states, necessitating a reevaluation of mobilization theories within nations.

Review

The paper titled "Mobilization and Control: Ethnic Political in Local Parliament Members Election in Indonesia" addresses a highly pertinent and complex issue within contemporary Indonesian democracy. The abstract clearly articulates the research's objective: to describe and analyze the mechanisms of ethnic mobilization and control in local politics. By situating this phenomenon within the context of increasing demands for regional autonomy and the rise of ethnic-based associations (paguyuban), the study promises to shed light on how ethnic ties are leveraged in the pursuit of political power. The choice of Batam City as a case study, a dynamic industrial hub characterized by both significant development and democratic processes, presents an intriguing site for examining the interplay between industrialization, democracy, and persistent ethnic politics. Methodologically, the abstract indicates a qualitative approach, relying on interviews with a diverse range of stakeholders including leaders of prominent ethnic community associations (North Sumatra, Malay, East Java), as well as representatives from key political parties (Golkar, PDIP, PKS, PSI) and local parliament members. This broad selection of interviewees suggests a robust effort to capture various perspectives on ethnic mobilization and control, enhancing the study's empirical depth. The findings outlined in the abstract—that mobilization occurs through politicians activating ethnic differences, and control is exerted via ties, indebtedness, and 'money political'—offer concrete insights into these processes. While the abstract provides a glimpse into the "how," further elaboration on the specific analytical framework used to interpret these qualitative data would strengthen the methodological clarity of the full paper. The research culminates in several significant conclusions that extend beyond the immediate case of Batam. The identification of historical legacies (Dutch colonial government), structural factors (decentralization), and instrumental elite motivations as drivers for ethnic politics provides a nuanced understanding of its persistence. Crucially, the abstract suggests that ethnic politics is not exclusive to nascent democracies, thereby calling for a critical re-evaluation of existing mobilization theories. This broader theoretical implication, if thoroughly developed in the main text, could make a substantial contribution to comparative politics and ethnic studies. While the case study is specific, the generalizability of its findings, particularly regarding the need for theoretical re-assessment, makes this a potentially valuable contribution to understanding the enduring role of ethnicity in political systems globally.

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