Phenomenon of Sole Election Candidate

As the candidacy procedure and process in Indonesia is not yet open and competitive, the MK ruled that sole candidates would have to compete and win against a blank box. In order to enable voters to choose, the blank boxes are personified. This is where the importance of state of law lies.

KOMPAS/DIDIE SW

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Elections in 11 regencies and cities this year were contested by sole candidates. There are at least four factors behind this phenomenon.

First, political parties have failed to carry out one of their main duties, namely recruiting and nurturing potential leaders. Second, the candidacy process as regulated by the Election Law, which lacks openness and competitiveness. Party members are rarely involved in picking election candidates. Central board executives are often too domineering in the process, at the expense of regional executives.