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Cornelis Lay

Universitas Gadjah Mada (Yogyakarta), Departemen Politik dan Pemerintahan, Kepala Research Centre for Politics and Government (PolGov)

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Cornelis Lay is Political Scientist at University of Gadjah Mada (UGM) working on state-civil society relations and democratic decentralization in Indonesia issues. He has directed several research initiatives at UGM and is a leading member of the team developing a new major research programme at UGM on Power, Welfare and Democracy. Currently, Lay served as Head of Research Centre for Politics and Government (Polgov), Department of Politics and Government, Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, Gadjah Mada University.The major focus of his current research is on the relations between members of parliament and civil society organization. In addition, Lay has for a long period of time combined academic work and scholarly political engagement.

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Rommel A . Curaming

Universiti Brunei Darussalam

University of Indonesia

Alya Nurshabrina

Bob Sugeng Hadiwinata

Centre for Innovation Policy and Governance (CIPG)

Universitas Indonesia 5

Universitas Gadjah Mada (Yogyakarta)

widya priyahita

Universitas Gadjah Mada (Yogyakarta)

Lailatul Fitriyah

Claremont School of Theology

Elisabeth Jackson

Research Triangle Institute International

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Papers by Cornelis Lay

Cornelis Lay-Inaugural Professorial Speech-6 February 2019.pdf

Cornelis Lay-Pidato Pengukuhan Guru Besar-6 Feb 2019.pdf

Post-Conflict Peacebuilding: Governability Perspective

Konflik internal, terutama konflik yang melibatkan penggunaan sarana-sarana kekerasan merupakan s... more Konflik internal, terutama konflik yang melibatkan penggunaan sarana-sarana kekerasan merupakan salah satu dari persoalan politik utama yang dihadapi kebanyakan negara bangsa dalam beberapa dekade terakhir ini. Sementara kapasitas obyektif untuk menyelesaikan persoalan yang ada tidak cukup memadai dimiliki negara-negara bangsa. Rangkaian data berikut ini memberikan penggambaran mengenai hal ini.

Kata Pengantar Buku Perubahan Berkelanjutan

The Rise of Uncontested Elections in Indonesia: Case Studies of Pati and Jayapura

by Cornelis Lay, Hasrul Hanif, and Ridwan al-Makassary

Jayapura, Papua. In doing so, we consider explanations that have been advanced elsewhere, includi... more Jayapura, Papua. In doing so, we consider explanations that have been advanced elsewhere, including those that focus on "scare-off effects" and incumbency advantages. Though such approaches are relevant, we show that there was a contrast between our two cases: in Pati, the strength of the incumbent and his wealthy running mate dissuaded rival candidates and parties from competing; in Jayapura, two other candidates wanted to run, and even secured backing from local party branches, but their candidacies were annulled after legal challenges. If the first pathway showed a process of broad-based elite bargaining producing a "win-win solution", in Jayapura the pathway involved a zero-sum-game contest between rival elites. Despite these differences, in both cases there was competition between local elites, but it happened prior to the election. Overall, we argue the rise of uncontested elections points to growing elite entrenchment in local politics.

The Rise of Uncontested Elections in Indonesia: Case Studies of Pati and Jayapura

by Cornelis Lay, Noor Rohman, and Ridwan al-Makassary

Jayapura, Papua. In doing so, we consider explanations that have been advanced elsewhere, includi... more Jayapura, Papua. In doing so, we consider explanations that have been advanced elsewhere, including those that focus on "scare-off effects" and incumbency advantages. Though such approaches are relevant, we show that there was a contrast between our two cases: in Pati, the strength of the incumbent and his wealthy running mate dissuaded rival candidates and parties from competing; in Jayapura, two other candidates wanted to run, and even secured backing from local party branches, but their candidacies were annulled after legal challenges. If the first pathway showed a process of broad-based elite bargaining producing a "win-win solution", in Jayapura the pathway involved a zero-sum-game contest between rival elites. Despite these differences, in both cases there was competition between local elites, but it happened prior to the election. Overall, we argue the rise of uncontested elections points to growing elite entrenchment in local politics.

The Emerging of New Democratic Space: CSOs and Parliament in Post-Soeharto Indonesia

" Middle Indonesia " : Harapan Baru Bagi Indonesia

Kedua buku yang sedang didiskusikan kali ini, The Making of Middle Indonesia dan In Search of Mid... more Kedua buku yang sedang didiskusikan kali ini, The Making of Middle Indonesia dan In Search of Middle Indonesia dalam banyak hal dapat dipahami sebagai kelanjutan dari usaha untuk mengkonsolidasi cara pandang baru guna memahami kepolitikan Indonesia pasca Orba. Cara pandang yang dikembangkan seiring dengan terjadinya proses reformasi. Perubahan ini tergambar dengan sangat kasat mata dari tema dan locus riset dan publikasi sejak penggalan awal hingga akhir tahun 2000-an. Seperti umum dipahami, selama era Orde Baru, pemahaman mengenai kepolitikan, dan sekaligus pelabelan mengenai politik Indonesia ditandai dua karakteristik dasar: pertama, penekanan pada pertanyaan mengenai seberapa plural Indonesia sebagai suatu entitas politik yang dipahami dari watak pengambilan kebijakannya. Kajian seperti ini menghasilkan spektrum pelabelan politik Indonesia mulai dari negara yang homogen ala Beamtenstaat hingga pada model-model kepolitikan pluralisme terbatas.

Kondisi Sosial Politik dan Penyiapan Peran Serta Pemerintah Daerah dalam Mendukung dan Mensukseskan Rencana Umum Energi Nasional

Dari sudut politik, pemenuhan kebutuhan akan energi sangat penting karena dua alasan berikut ini:

Dinamika Ekonomi Politik di Daerah Kaya Sumber Daya Alam

Riset PolGov mengenai pengelolaan sumber daya di beberapa daerah --Banyuwangi (emas dan mineral d... more Riset PolGov mengenai pengelolaan sumber daya di beberapa daerah --Banyuwangi (emas dan mineral di Tumpang Pitu), Belu (mangan oleh PT. Nusa Lontar Resources), Manggarai (mangan di Torong Besi), dan Bojonegoro (migas), menemukan bahwa:  Akuntabilitas dan transparansi yang dipromosikan sebagai resep guna menghindari kutukan sumber daya alam merupakan faktor krusial, namun belum cukup untuk memastikan hadirnya tata kelola pertambangan yang baik.  Ketiadaan partisipasi masyarakat dalam pengambilan kebijakan mengenai pemberian izin maupun pengelolaan pendapatan daerah dari industri ekstraktif menyebabkan pengelolaan sektor ini didominasi elit lokal, yang dalam beberapa kasus, berkongsi dengan elit nasional.  Pengetahuan lokal yang dipraktikkan masyarakat belum diakomodasi pemerintah daerah dalam mengelola industri ekstraktif.  Pemerintah daerah membutuhkan keahlian khusus untuk mengelola konflik yang mungkin timbul dari aktivitas ekstraksi. Studi PolGov di atas berangkat, salah satunya, dari premis mengenai kutukan sumber daya (resources curse atau disebut juga sebagai paradox of plenty). Dan sudah barang tentu, temuantemuannya sangat penting dalam kerangka penataan kembali secara teknokratik pengelolaan 1 Paper disampaikan pada Diskusi Mengelola Kutukan, Menimbang Masa Depan yang diselenggarakan pada Rabu, 24 Mei 2017 di Yogyakarta, atas kerjasama Article 33 Indonesia dengan PolGov, Departemen Politik dan Pemerintahan, Fakultas Ilmu Sosial dan Ilmu Politik, Universitas Gadjah Mada.

Political Linkages in Indonesia: A Case Study of Political Linkages in Drafting The Pornography Law of 2008

This research explores how political linkages between different Civil Society Organizations (CSOs... more This research explores how political linkages between different Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and between CSOs and Parliament are established, formed, and operated, as well as their impact on democracy. The drafting of the Pornography Law, initiated by the Indonesian Council of Ulamas (Majelis Ulama Indonesia, MUI) which was deeply concerned by widespread pornographic content, is used here as a case study. This article finds that since the very beginning, CSOs and Parliament were vertically polarized into two blocs based on identity and ideology: the first consisting of Islamic groups and the second consisting of nationalist, non-Muslim, and adat groups. This research finds that identity remains the main machine driving Indonesian politics, jeopardizing the process of democracy. As this research also finds mobilization to be the basis of linkage between different CSOs and between CSOs and parliament, this article argues that participation as a key ingredient of democracy has been sidelined in the whole process.

Demokrasi Lokal Dalam Masyarakat Terbelah: Amarasi Di Bawah Bayang-Bayang Aristokrasi

Kondisi Sosial Politik dan Penyiapan Peran Serta Pemerintah Daerah dalam Mendukung dan Mensukseskan Rencana Umum Energi Daerah

Dari sudut politik, pemenuhan kebutuhan akan energi sangat penting karena dua alasan berikut ini:

Desentralisasi Asimetris: Sebuah Model Alternatif Bagi Indonesia

Pelaksanaan politik desentralisasi dan otonomi daerah di Indonesia telah melewati tahuntahun yang... more Pelaksanaan politik desentralisasi dan otonomi daerah di Indonesia telah melewati tahuntahun yang sangat panjang sejak kali pertama ide ini diintrodusir pemerintahan Kolonial Belanda melalui Decentralisatie Wet 23 Juli 1903 Josef Riwu Kaho, 2012;). Sekalipun demikian, pelaksanaan politik desentralisasi yang bersifat masif dan menyeluruh baru dimulai satu dekade yang lalu menyusul dikeluarkannya UU No. 22 tahun 1999 dan kemudian diubah dengan UU No. 32 tahun 2004. Dalam perkembangannya, UU ini disepakati sebagai skala prioritas DPR dan pemerintah sejak 2010 untuk kembali disempurnakan. Rencana perubahan UU ini bahkan memunculkan tiga rancangan UU berbeda yang hingga awal 2013 ini masih terus diperdebatkan.

Broken Linkages, A Preliminary Study on Parliament-CSOs Linkages in Indonesia

This paper is part of my preliminary research on Parliament-CSO linkages in policy processes in I... more This paper is part of my preliminary research on Parliament-CSO linkages in policy processes in Indonesia. It is aimed to provide basic information on political linkages between parliament as a new created democratic space and CSOs, including the enabling and inhibiting factors in the relation between the two. In more general, it is aimed to generate a clearer picture on the interlinking between “power, space, and place”, paving way for a better understanding on how a new democratic political spaces and places are created, who involves within them and on what basis; and on the dynamic of their engagement within them, implying the dynamic of power relation in specific context. It therefore, moves beyond the existing assessment and descriptions of the state of democracy in Indonesia, focusing on the problem of hijacking, of the hegemony of old power elite, of the working of formal institutions mechanism together with various types of informal networking, of the changing continuities, of the problem of representation, of the need to build political block, and many other labels. Drawing from the research, this paper concludes that the main challenge to Indonesian democracy lies on the absent of democratic linkage; a phenomenon of “broken linkage”.
Combining the “power cube” model of Gaventa with general framework for analyzing democracy of Tornquist and the concept of political linkages, this paper concludes that reformasi has created and multiplied the democratic spaces and places at both national and local arena, enlarging the boundaries for inclusion of CSOs in the decision-making processes. However, within this broader new democratic boundary of national parliament, this paper identifies the presents of a set spaces where all three dimensions of power are working simultaneously, determining the whole course of decision making processes.
Apart from the above mentioned, this paper also indicates that the very nature of CSOs-parliament relationship – as demonstrates through various patterns of their links, has been dominated by a combination of technocratic-based and intimacy-based linkages, hindering the process of democracy to take place. These, in turn, have created an even more complex power relation and longer process for demos to get into public affairs. It does not make demos become more autonomous and have more alternative channels to public affairs. In the contrary, it makes public affairs become a faraway institution to be reached.

The Bandung Spirit, in Search of Relevance

Pancasila, Soekarno, dan Orde Baru

Tautan Politik antara Pengrajin Batik, Parlemen, dan Masyarakat Sipil di Yogyakarta

Tulisan ini merupakan paparan hasil penelitian yang mencoba mengungkapkan ada tidaknya tautan pol... more Tulisan ini merupakan paparan hasil penelitian yang mencoba mengungkapkan ada tidaknya tautan politik antar-partai politik/parlemen dan organisasi masyarakat sipil dengan kelompok pengrajin batik, serta bagaimana tautan politik terbentuk, siapa yang mengawali, serta implikasinya bagi proses demokratisasi di Indonesia. Dengan mengambil kasus di Yogyakarta, kealpaan politik mengindikasikan proses demokratisasi Indonesia kian berliku. Harapan bahwa demokrasi bisa menjadi instrumen pencapaian kesejahteraan masih membutuhkan kerja sangat keras.

Volunteers from the Periphery (Case Studies of Survivors of the Lapindo Mudflow and Stren Kali, Surabaya, Forced Eviction)

This article discusses volunteer movements active during the Indonesian presidential election of ... more This article discusses volunteer movements active during the Indonesian presidential election of 2014, with a focus on volunteers in two troubled regions. The first group of volunteers consists of survivors of the Lapindo mudflow disaster in Sidoarjo, East Java, who are united in Korban Lapindo Menggugat (KLM, Victims of Lapindo Accuse); while the second consists of residents of Stren Kali, Surabaya, who were forcibly evicted and later united through Paguyuban Warga Stren Kali Surabaya (PWSS, Association of Residents of Stren Kali Surabaya). This article attempts to answer two questions: first, how did KLM and PWSS transform themselves into volunteer movements in support of Jokowi? And, second, what actions were taken by KLM and PWSS in support of Jokowi?

The transformation of KLM and PWSS into volunteer movements was intended to resolve issues that the groups had already faced for several years. Their acts were self-serving ones, albeit not based in individual economic interests but rather collective political ones. They were instrumentalist, negotiating an exchange of their support for Jokowi’s assistance in resolving their groups’ issues. Jokowi was supported because he offered a victory through which the groups’ issues could be resolved. Furthermore, these groups’ actions were to meet concrete short-term goals.

The Bandung Spirit: Nation State and Democracy

This article aims to show the relevance of the Bandung Asia Africa Conference in 1955 to the curr... more This article aims to show the relevance of the Bandung Asia Africa Conference in 1955 to the current debate on democracy. It argues that the Bandung Asian-African Conference was the second massive but well coordinated democratic movement on a global scale. It has paved the way for the production of new political space globally as well as for individual nations -- space that is more democratic in nature, where people can claim and exercise their citizenship rights. Reflecting on Soekarno’s speech at the opening of the Asia Africa Conference, this article argues that there is an urgent need for a deeper involvement of political and social forces of the Global South to put themselves as the front liners in defining and making use of democracy, instead of leaving it to be dictated by Neo-liberal lines of thinking. This is so because Indonesian experience during the last 15 years or so has clearly demonstrated the very limits of liberal democracy. This article further
argues the need to build a collaborative effort amongst scholars of the Southern Hemisphere to challenge the superiority of liberal ideas and practices of democracy.

Cornelis Lay-Inaugural Professorial Speech-6 February 2019.pdf

Cornelis Lay-Pidato Pengukuhan Guru Besar-6 Feb 2019.pdf

Post-Conflict Peacebuilding: Governability Perspective

Konflik internal, terutama konflik yang melibatkan penggunaan sarana-sarana kekerasan merupakan s... more Konflik internal, terutama konflik yang melibatkan penggunaan sarana-sarana kekerasan merupakan salah satu dari persoalan politik utama yang dihadapi kebanyakan negara bangsa dalam beberapa dekade terakhir ini. Sementara kapasitas obyektif untuk menyelesaikan persoalan yang ada tidak cukup memadai dimiliki negara-negara bangsa. Rangkaian data berikut ini memberikan penggambaran mengenai hal ini.

Kata Pengantar Buku Perubahan Berkelanjutan

The Rise of Uncontested Elections in Indonesia: Case Studies of Pati and Jayapura

by Cornelis Lay, Hasrul Hanif, and Ridwan al-Makassary

Jayapura, Papua. In doing so, we consider explanations that have been advanced elsewhere, includi... more Jayapura, Papua. In doing so, we consider explanations that have been advanced elsewhere, including those that focus on "scare-off effects" and incumbency advantages. Though such approaches are relevant, we show that there was a contrast between our two cases: in Pati, the strength of the incumbent and his wealthy running mate dissuaded rival candidates and parties from competing; in Jayapura, two other candidates wanted to run, and even secured backing from local party branches, but their candidacies were annulled after legal challenges. If the first pathway showed a process of broad-based elite bargaining producing a "win-win solution", in Jayapura the pathway involved a zero-sum-game contest between rival elites. Despite these differences, in both cases there was competition between local elites, but it happened prior to the election. Overall, we argue the rise of uncontested elections points to growing elite entrenchment in local politics.

The Rise of Uncontested Elections in Indonesia: Case Studies of Pati and Jayapura

by Cornelis Lay, Noor Rohman, and Ridwan al-Makassary

Jayapura, Papua. In doing so, we consider explanations that have been advanced elsewhere, includi... more Jayapura, Papua. In doing so, we consider explanations that have been advanced elsewhere, including those that focus on "scare-off effects" and incumbency advantages. Though such approaches are relevant, we show that there was a contrast between our two cases: in Pati, the strength of the incumbent and his wealthy running mate dissuaded rival candidates and parties from competing; in Jayapura, two other candidates wanted to run, and even secured backing from local party branches, but their candidacies were annulled after legal challenges. If the first pathway showed a process of broad-based elite bargaining producing a "win-win solution", in Jayapura the pathway involved a zero-sum-game contest between rival elites. Despite these differences, in both cases there was competition between local elites, but it happened prior to the election. Overall, we argue the rise of uncontested elections points to growing elite entrenchment in local politics.

The Emerging of New Democratic Space: CSOs and Parliament in Post-Soeharto Indonesia

" Middle Indonesia " : Harapan Baru Bagi Indonesia

Kedua buku yang sedang didiskusikan kali ini, The Making of Middle Indonesia dan In Search of Mid... more Kedua buku yang sedang didiskusikan kali ini, The Making of Middle Indonesia dan In Search of Middle Indonesia dalam banyak hal dapat dipahami sebagai kelanjutan dari usaha untuk mengkonsolidasi cara pandang baru guna memahami kepolitikan Indonesia pasca Orba. Cara pandang yang dikembangkan seiring dengan terjadinya proses reformasi. Perubahan ini tergambar dengan sangat kasat mata dari tema dan locus riset dan publikasi sejak penggalan awal hingga akhir tahun 2000-an. Seperti umum dipahami, selama era Orde Baru, pemahaman mengenai kepolitikan, dan sekaligus pelabelan mengenai politik Indonesia ditandai dua karakteristik dasar: pertama, penekanan pada pertanyaan mengenai seberapa plural Indonesia sebagai suatu entitas politik yang dipahami dari watak pengambilan kebijakannya. Kajian seperti ini menghasilkan spektrum pelabelan politik Indonesia mulai dari negara yang homogen ala Beamtenstaat hingga pada model-model kepolitikan pluralisme terbatas.

Kondisi Sosial Politik dan Penyiapan Peran Serta Pemerintah Daerah dalam Mendukung dan Mensukseskan Rencana Umum Energi Nasional

Dari sudut politik, pemenuhan kebutuhan akan energi sangat penting karena dua alasan berikut ini:

Dinamika Ekonomi Politik di Daerah Kaya Sumber Daya Alam

Riset PolGov mengenai pengelolaan sumber daya di beberapa daerah --Banyuwangi (emas dan mineral d... more Riset PolGov mengenai pengelolaan sumber daya di beberapa daerah --Banyuwangi (emas dan mineral di Tumpang Pitu), Belu (mangan oleh PT. Nusa Lontar Resources), Manggarai (mangan di Torong Besi), dan Bojonegoro (migas), menemukan bahwa:  Akuntabilitas dan transparansi yang dipromosikan sebagai resep guna menghindari kutukan sumber daya alam merupakan faktor krusial, namun belum cukup untuk memastikan hadirnya tata kelola pertambangan yang baik.  Ketiadaan partisipasi masyarakat dalam pengambilan kebijakan mengenai pemberian izin maupun pengelolaan pendapatan daerah dari industri ekstraktif menyebabkan pengelolaan sektor ini didominasi elit lokal, yang dalam beberapa kasus, berkongsi dengan elit nasional.  Pengetahuan lokal yang dipraktikkan masyarakat belum diakomodasi pemerintah daerah dalam mengelola industri ekstraktif.  Pemerintah daerah membutuhkan keahlian khusus untuk mengelola konflik yang mungkin timbul dari aktivitas ekstraksi. Studi PolGov di atas berangkat, salah satunya, dari premis mengenai kutukan sumber daya (resources curse atau disebut juga sebagai paradox of plenty). Dan sudah barang tentu, temuantemuannya sangat penting dalam kerangka penataan kembali secara teknokratik pengelolaan 1 Paper disampaikan pada Diskusi Mengelola Kutukan, Menimbang Masa Depan yang diselenggarakan pada Rabu, 24 Mei 2017 di Yogyakarta, atas kerjasama Article 33 Indonesia dengan PolGov, Departemen Politik dan Pemerintahan, Fakultas Ilmu Sosial dan Ilmu Politik, Universitas Gadjah Mada.

Political Linkages in Indonesia: A Case Study of Political Linkages in Drafting The Pornography Law of 2008

This research explores how political linkages between different Civil Society Organizations (CSOs... more This research explores how political linkages between different Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and between CSOs and Parliament are established, formed, and operated, as well as their impact on democracy. The drafting of the Pornography Law, initiated by the Indonesian Council of Ulamas (Majelis Ulama Indonesia, MUI) which was deeply concerned by widespread pornographic content, is used here as a case study. This article finds that since the very beginning, CSOs and Parliament were vertically polarized into two blocs based on identity and ideology: the first consisting of Islamic groups and the second consisting of nationalist, non-Muslim, and adat groups. This research finds that identity remains the main machine driving Indonesian politics, jeopardizing the process of democracy. As this research also finds mobilization to be the basis of linkage between different CSOs and between CSOs and parliament, this article argues that participation as a key ingredient of democracy has been sidelined in the whole process.

Demokrasi Lokal Dalam Masyarakat Terbelah: Amarasi Di Bawah Bayang-Bayang Aristokrasi

Kondisi Sosial Politik dan Penyiapan Peran Serta Pemerintah Daerah dalam Mendukung dan Mensukseskan Rencana Umum Energi Daerah

Dari sudut politik, pemenuhan kebutuhan akan energi sangat penting karena dua alasan berikut ini:

Desentralisasi Asimetris: Sebuah Model Alternatif Bagi Indonesia

Pelaksanaan politik desentralisasi dan otonomi daerah di Indonesia telah melewati tahuntahun yang... more Pelaksanaan politik desentralisasi dan otonomi daerah di Indonesia telah melewati tahuntahun yang sangat panjang sejak kali pertama ide ini diintrodusir pemerintahan Kolonial Belanda melalui Decentralisatie Wet 23 Juli 1903 Josef Riwu Kaho, 2012;). Sekalipun demikian, pelaksanaan politik desentralisasi yang bersifat masif dan menyeluruh baru dimulai satu dekade yang lalu menyusul dikeluarkannya UU No. 22 tahun 1999 dan kemudian diubah dengan UU No. 32 tahun 2004. Dalam perkembangannya, UU ini disepakati sebagai skala prioritas DPR dan pemerintah sejak 2010 untuk kembali disempurnakan. Rencana perubahan UU ini bahkan memunculkan tiga rancangan UU berbeda yang hingga awal 2013 ini masih terus diperdebatkan.

Broken Linkages, A Preliminary Study on Parliament-CSOs Linkages in Indonesia

This paper is part of my preliminary research on Parliament-CSO linkages in policy processes in I... more This paper is part of my preliminary research on Parliament-CSO linkages in policy processes in Indonesia. It is aimed to provide basic information on political linkages between parliament as a new created democratic space and CSOs, including the enabling and inhibiting factors in the relation between the two. In more general, it is aimed to generate a clearer picture on the interlinking between “power, space, and place”, paving way for a better understanding on how a new democratic political spaces and places are created, who involves within them and on what basis; and on the dynamic of their engagement within them, implying the dynamic of power relation in specific context. It therefore, moves beyond the existing assessment and descriptions of the state of democracy in Indonesia, focusing on the problem of hijacking, of the hegemony of old power elite, of the working of formal institutions mechanism together with various types of informal networking, of the changing continuities, of the problem of representation, of the need to build political block, and many other labels. Drawing from the research, this paper concludes that the main challenge to Indonesian democracy lies on the absent of democratic linkage; a phenomenon of “broken linkage”.
Combining the “power cube” model of Gaventa with general framework for analyzing democracy of Tornquist and the concept of political linkages, this paper concludes that reformasi has created and multiplied the democratic spaces and places at both national and local arena, enlarging the boundaries for inclusion of CSOs in the decision-making processes. However, within this broader new democratic boundary of national parliament, this paper identifies the presents of a set spaces where all three dimensions of power are working simultaneously, determining the whole course of decision making processes.
Apart from the above mentioned, this paper also indicates that the very nature of CSOs-parliament relationship – as demonstrates through various patterns of their links, has been dominated by a combination of technocratic-based and intimacy-based linkages, hindering the process of democracy to take place. These, in turn, have created an even more complex power relation and longer process for demos to get into public affairs. It does not make demos become more autonomous and have more alternative channels to public affairs. In the contrary, it makes public affairs become a faraway institution to be reached.

The Bandung Spirit, in Search of Relevance

Pancasila, Soekarno, dan Orde Baru

Tautan Politik antara Pengrajin Batik, Parlemen, dan Masyarakat Sipil di Yogyakarta

Tulisan ini merupakan paparan hasil penelitian yang mencoba mengungkapkan ada tidaknya tautan pol... more Tulisan ini merupakan paparan hasil penelitian yang mencoba mengungkapkan ada tidaknya tautan politik antar-partai politik/parlemen dan organisasi masyarakat sipil dengan kelompok pengrajin batik, serta bagaimana tautan politik terbentuk, siapa yang mengawali, serta implikasinya bagi proses demokratisasi di Indonesia. Dengan mengambil kasus di Yogyakarta, kealpaan politik mengindikasikan proses demokratisasi Indonesia kian berliku. Harapan bahwa demokrasi bisa menjadi instrumen pencapaian kesejahteraan masih membutuhkan kerja sangat keras.

Volunteers from the Periphery (Case Studies of Survivors of the Lapindo Mudflow and Stren Kali, Surabaya, Forced Eviction)

This article discusses volunteer movements active during the Indonesian presidential election of ... more This article discusses volunteer movements active during the Indonesian presidential election of 2014, with a focus on volunteers in two troubled regions. The first group of volunteers consists of survivors of the Lapindo mudflow disaster in Sidoarjo, East Java, who are united in Korban Lapindo Menggugat (KLM, Victims of Lapindo Accuse); while the second consists of residents of Stren Kali, Surabaya, who were forcibly evicted and later united through Paguyuban Warga Stren Kali Surabaya (PWSS, Association of Residents of Stren Kali Surabaya). This article attempts to answer two questions: first, how did KLM and PWSS transform themselves into volunteer movements in support of Jokowi? And, second, what actions were taken by KLM and PWSS in support of Jokowi?

The transformation of KLM and PWSS into volunteer movements was intended to resolve issues that the groups had already faced for several years. Their acts were self-serving ones, albeit not based in individual economic interests but rather collective political ones. They were instrumentalist, negotiating an exchange of their support for Jokowi’s assistance in resolving their groups’ issues. Jokowi was supported because he offered a victory through which the groups’ issues could be resolved. Furthermore, these groups’ actions were to meet concrete short-term goals.

The Bandung Spirit: Nation State and Democracy

This article aims to show the relevance of the Bandung Asia Africa Conference in 1955 to the curr... more This article aims to show the relevance of the Bandung Asia Africa Conference in 1955 to the current debate on democracy. It argues that the Bandung Asian-African Conference was the second massive but well coordinated democratic movement on a global scale. It has paved the way for the production of new political space globally as well as for individual nations -- space that is more democratic in nature, where people can claim and exercise their citizenship rights. Reflecting on Soekarno’s speech at the opening of the Asia Africa Conference, this article argues that there is an urgent need for a deeper involvement of political and social forces of the Global South to put themselves as the front liners in defining and making use of democracy, instead of leaving it to be dictated by Neo-liberal lines of thinking. This is so because Indonesian experience during the last 15 years or so has clearly demonstrated the very limits of liberal democracy. This article further
argues the need to build a collaborative effort amongst scholars of the Southern Hemisphere to challenge the superiority of liberal ideas and practices of democracy.

Sabam Sirait dan Politik Indonesia

Paradigma Reformasi Birokrasi

Lay-Musyawarah-Prisma 2018.pdf

Prisma, 2018

Artikel ini mendiskusikan musyawarah sebagai instrumen politik yang sering dikontraskan dengan de... more Artikel ini mendiskusikan musyawarah sebagai instrumen politik yang sering dikontraskan dengan demokrasi elektoral. Musyawarah hadir guna menjawab persoalan yang khas dan bekerja dengan logika yang juga khas. Artikel ini juga menunjukkan adanya ambivalensi dalam memahami musyawarah. Di satu sisi, abstraksi tentang musyawarah dihasilkan melalui proses induksi tempat praksis sosial dalam banyak masyarakat (lokal) Indonesia menjadi ramuan dasarnya. Di sisi lain, berbagai usaha melembagakan (kembali) musyawarah dilakukan secara deduktif dengan menempatkannya sebagai produk elitis yang dihasilkan dan sekaligus didorong negara melalui sejumlah agen yang diberi monopoli untuk menafsirkannya.

The Rise of Uncontested Elections in Indonesia: Case Studies of Pati and Jayapura

by Hasrul Hanif and Cornelis Lay

This article explains a new trend in Indonesian local politics: the rise of uncontested elections... more This article explains a new trend in Indonesian local politics: the rise of uncontested elections. We explore this trend by way of detailed examinations of two such elections in February 2017: the district head election in Pati, Central Java; and the mayoral election in Jayapura, Papua. In doing so, we consider explanations that have been advanced elsewhere, including those that focus on "scare-off effects" and incumbency advantages. Though such approaches are relevant, we show that there was a contrast between our two cases: in Pati, the strength of the incumbent and his wealthy running mate dissuaded rival candidates and parties from competing; in Jayapura, two other candidates wanted to run, and even secured backing from local party branches, but their candidacies were annulled after legal challenges. If the first pathway showed a process of broad-based elite bargaining producing a "win-win solution", in Jayapura the pathway involved a zero-sum-game contest between rival elites. Despite these differences, in both cases there was competition between local elites, but it happened prior to the election. Overall, we argue the rise of uncontested elections points to growing elite entrenchment in local politics.