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Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal – Vol. 9, No. 2
Publication Date: February 25, 2022
DOI:10.14738/assrj.92.11658. Januwarso, A., Sukristiyanto, A., & Darmawan, A. (2022) Digital Election Model in the Election of Regional Head and Deputy Head
in Indonesia. Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal, 9(2). 159-167.
Services for Science and Education – United Kingdom
Digital Election Model in the Election of Regional Head and
Deputy Head in Indonesia
Arief Januwarso
Faculty of Social and Political Sciences
University of 17 August 1945, Surabaya, Indonesia
Faculty of Social and Political Sciences
Bojonegoro University, Bojonegoro, Indonesia
Agus Sukristiyanto
Faculty of Social and Political Sciences
University of 17 August 1945, Surabaya, Indonesia
Arief Darmawan
Faculty of Social and Political Sciences
University of 17 August 1945, Surabaya, Indonesia
ABSTRACT
This study aims to develop a model for digital general election in the election of
Regional Head and Deputy Head. The focus of this research is on the simultaneous
regional elections in 2020 in the regencies of Jember, Malang, Lamongan and
Sidoarjo. In the research method, a qualitative-descriptive approach was used, with
a phenomenological basis. The results of the study indicated that the legitimacy of
authority in the 2020 Regional Head and Deputy Head Elections has decreased or
the elections had incomplete legitimacy. This can be seen from the percentages of
votes for the winners of the local elections, who received less than 50% in the
regencies of Jember, Malang, Lamongan and Sidoarjo. Recommendations are
offered for the development of a new regional election system, which may attain
full power legitimacy, as follows. First, the digital-based electoral system needs to
be improved. Second, election needs to be socialized as early as possible. Third,
political education needs to be developed by political parties, through political
school programs with competent teachers. Fourth, the model, which needs to be set
up with a bottom-up system through full community participation, may produce a
pattern of regional election that is more in line with the conditions and desires of
the people so that the people can give full power (full legitimacy) for the winners to
manage the regional government.
Keywords: General Election; Digital; Legitimacy.
INTRODUCTION
The electoral system should be changed because, in almost every direct election, around 50%
from the total population in the respective area choose to abstain (or choose to belong to “white
group”). To increase the active participation of local people, it is necessary to conduct active
political socialization and education in each region, with political parties and higher education
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Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal (ASSRJ) Vol. 9, Issue 2, February-2022
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institutions as organizers [East Java KPUD (Komisi Pemilihan Umum Daerah/ Regional Election
Commission), 2014].
Based on the observation that voter participation is very minimal and mediocre, namely only
50%, it is necessary to explore the level of legitimacy of the elected regional leadership.
Hardjanto (2019) states that legitimacy is an acknowledgment and support from the
community for the winner of the election in order to form a state government. In addition, there
is a need to construct a new system through the development of the system. The old system, in
which DPRD [Dewan Perwakilan Rakyat Daerah/ Regional Parliament] or regional heads are
directly elected by the people], needs to be reviewed if public participation is still less than 50%
of the total voters in each region.
Carrying out a democratic life in the administration of local government is the function of the
regional head in carrying out his/her duties and authorities. The Regional Head, as the head of
government, has a function in the administration of regional government based on democratic
principles. According to the explanation of Article 27 letter d of Law Number 32 of 2004 on
Regional Government, which has been amended by Law 12 of 2008 on the Second Amendment
to Law Number 32 of 2004 on Regional Government, it is stated that regional heads, in carrying
out their duties and authorities, need to carry out democratic life, in which they function to
absorb people's aspirations, increase participation and follow up on public complaints.
The expression that regional heads carry out democratic life, as regional government
administrators, has vague meaning. Democracy as a political term in Article 27 Article (1) letter
d becomes a vague or unclear norm, because as there is no clarity in the criteria for the
absorption of aspirations, improvement in participation and follow up of public complaints. The
public in question comprises the groups that are represented in legislative institutions,
community groups incorporated in non-governmental organizations, community organizations
or non-governmental organizations, farming communities, entrepreneurs or commoners and
so on, in which the meaning is still unclear. Meanwhile, democracy is defined as government of
the people by the people and for the people.
The provision of regional autonomy, through decentralization, is a form of giving expectations
to the regions from the ruling group to the power elite in the government, so that the weakness
of the political legitimacy of the government as a phenomenon can be eliminated. Political
legitimacy, is related to government power which, according to Suseno (2001), is seen as the
legitimacy of the subject of power. The legitimacy of the subject of power has the basic context
of the authority of a person or group of people to make laws and regulations for society and
hold state power. In the context of democracy, what is meant by political legitimacy is
democratic legitimacy based on the principle of popular sovereignty.
Political legitimacy in this study is democratic legitimacy, namely the legitimacy in exercising
local government power based on the sovereignty of the people in a democratic system. The
legitimacy of government power was very weak during the period of transmission from the
New Order government to the Reformation government. Therefore, to strengthen the
government's position towards the regions, various laws and regulations were issued, e.g., the
Law of the Republic of Indonesia Number 22 of 1999 on Regional Government as a substitute
for Law Number 5 of 1974 on the Principles of Government in the Regions. The principle of
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Januwarso, A., Sukristiyanto, A., & Darmawan, A. (2022) Digital Election Model in the Election of Regional Head and Deputy Head in Indonesia.
Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal, 9(2). 159-167.
URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.14738/assrj.92.11658
regional autonomy, according to Law Number 5 of 1974, is real and responsible autonomy, and
not real autonomy as stated in Law Number 18 of 1965 on the Principles of Regional
Government.
Regional Heads and Deputy Heads are produced through the direct elections of Regional Heads
and Deputy Heads. Thus, they have moral and political responsibilities to the people who have
elected them. The support and trust given by the people, through the elections, constitutes an
important capital for the Regional Heads and Deputy Heads. The reason is that this political
support confers political legitimacy to the Regional Heads and Deputy Heads in administrating
government.
Some people consider that the political legitimacy from the public in the Elections of Regional
Heads and Deputy Heads is still not sufficient to obtain people’s mandate and sovereignty. With
respect to the number of votes in the Elections of Regional Heads, when many regions in
Indonesia held simultaneous Regional Head Elections in December 2020, it turned out that the
results of the vote acquisitions for the elected pairs did not reach 50%. This situation happened
in Jember Regency-with 46.6% of the votes, Malang Regency-with 45.51% of the votes,
Lamongan Regency with 42.5% of the votes and Sidoarjo Regency-with 39.82% of the votes
(https://pilkada2020.kpu. go.id/#/pkwkk/tungsura/35). Based on this phenomenon, this
research focuses on the model for the ideal general election system in the Election of Regional
Head and Deputy Head.
LITERATURE REVIEW
General election is one way to elect the representatives of the people, and this constitutes the
embodiment of a democratic state, or a means to channel the aspirations or the wills of the
people. Article 1 of Law Number 12 of 2003 on the election of members of the DPR [Dewan
Perwakilan Rakyat/ National Parliament], DPD [Dewan Perwakilan Daerah/ Regional
Representative Council] and DPRD [Dewan Perwakilan Rakyat Daerah/ Local Parliament]
states, "General elections, herein referred to as elections, constitutes a means for people's
sovereignty in the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia based on Pancasila and the 1945
Constitution." Meanwhile, Law Number 23 of 2003 regulates the elections for the President and
Vice President of the Republic of Indonesia, who are directly elected by the people. Elections
are an absolute requirement for a democratic country to implement people's sovereignty. The
reason is that, due to the large number of people, for the sake of determining the course of
government, the sovereignty of the people needs to be carried out by means of representation.
According to Prihatmoko (2005), elections have three objectives, namely: 1) as a mechanism
for selecting government leaders and alternative public policies, 2) as a means for transferring
the conflicts of interest from the community to the people's representative bodies, through
elected representatives or parties that win seats, so that community integration is guaranteed,
3) as a means to rally, mobilize or garner popular support for the State and government,
through participation in the political process.
According to Huntington (2003), election in its implementation has five objectives, namely: 1)
Election serves as the implementation of the embodiment of people's sovereignty. The
assumption of democracy is that sovereignty lies in the hands of the people. As the sovereign
people cannot govern directly, through elections people can select their representatives, and
then the people’s representatives will determine who will hold the reins of government. 2)