Indonesian Politics after 2020 Regional Elections

KOMPAS/SAIFUL RIJAL YUNUS

Poll workers, assisted by local residents, install a tent used as a polling station in Makassar, South Sulawesi, on December 8. Many people are worried about the risk of coronavirus in-fection, because the 2020 simultaneous regional elections are held during the COVID-19 pandemic

Choosing a cat in a sack is a metaphor that means choosing something using a game of chance. If you are lucky, you will get a Persian cat, a Turkish Van, an Angora or the like. However, if unlucky, you will get a cat with ringworm or a cat with mange, or some other type, even if it is still a cat. In the simultaneous regional elections (Pilkada) that were held on Wednesday, voters were not gambling with choices because what they elected were not cats but “creatures” who were backed and controlled by powerful wealthy people and investors.

The practices of transactional politics involving wealthy people were unveiled by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) during a recent public discussion on regional elections and corruption regarding COVID-19 mitigation funds. The KPK said that around 82 percent of regional head candidates in the 2020 regional elections were funded by rent-seekers. Funds, commonly called political dowries, are usually used to obtain an endorsement from certain political parties to be able to run in the elections.