INTRODUCTION

Since the 1998 collapse of Soeharto's New Order regime, Indonesia has seen rapid and fundamental changes in its political institutions. Simultaneous processes of democratic reform and administrative decentralization have transformed the country's once centralized, authoritarian political system into a more decentralized and democratic one. At the core of democratic reforms has been the introduction of competitive elections and, during the last ten years, Indonesia has successfully staged two general elections (in 1999 and 2004) as well as its first-ever direct presidential election (in 2004). Administrative decentralization has also been a key dimension of political change. In January 2001, two laws on regional autonomy devolved a wide range of power and authority to the regions.

In Indonesia and internationally, many advocates of political reform suggest political decentralization is an effective way to consolidate democracy. In September 1999, Indonesia's local assemblies recovered their right to elect and dismiss local government heads. While the elections of local government heads by Local Assembly members decentralized Indonesia's politics, the character and results of those elections were complex and controversial. The indirect local elections fuelled a rash of “money politics” at the local level, in which party representatives in local assemblies effectively sold their votes to candidates regardless of their parties’ official lines.

In 2002, responding to criticisms from domestic and international organizations and in an effort to achieve consistency with the amended constitution, the National Assembly adopted a direct election system for local government heads. In June 2005, the Indonesian government commenced another important step towards more decentralized politics by holding direct elections for local government heads — i.e., provincial governors, district regents (bupati), and municipal mayors (walikota). From June 2005 to September 2007, sixteen gubernatorial and over 280 regent and mayoral elections were held. Over the next couple of years, the remaining provinces, districts, and municipalities will hold similar elections. This essay examines how Indonesia's experiment with direct local elections has affected local political dynamics and governance in a single locality. It does so through an analysis of a mayoral election on the island of Batam in the Riau Archipelago.1