Politics of Accountability in Indonesia: A Case of Jakartan Governorship

• In Event: Development of Accountability Systems and Their Impact on Democratization in Southeast Asian Countries

Abstract

Indonesian has been known as one of the worst corrupted politics in the world. Some argue that the corruption became worse after the fall of Suharto. However, at the same time, democratic competition and free media paved the way for emphasizing accountability. The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), established in 2002, typically showed significance performance and gained strong popular support. It contributed fame of Yudhoyono’s government, at least in the beginning before his party leaders became suspects. The 2014 presidential hopeful, Joko Widodo, a current Jakartan governor, and Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, a vice-governor, have enjoyed unprecedented popularity because of constant media expose and continuous policy performances. This paper analyze on politics of accountability in Indonesia after 1998 with special attention on current governorship in Jakarta. By highlighting several cases, I will demonstrate how they manage to respond people’s expectation and potential oppositions. Besides relationship to media and electorate, how directly elected regional head deals with regional parliament is one of the most important political battlefields of accountability and legitimacy. This analysis leads.

Author

• Ken Miichi, Iwate Prefectural University