Making Informal Politics Work: A Case of Local-Direct Election In Bangka Selatan, Indonesia

摘要

The existence of informal actors like local strongman and the like is another consequent of localizing democracy in Indonesia nationwide. This research-based paper aims to analyze the existence of informal actors in influencing and shaping electoral process namely local election in Bangka Selatan, Sumatra, Indonesia. To acknowledge the local-informal actor in this case, researchers employ some theoretical frameworks like informal politics, elites, and Bourdieu's theory of capitals, in concerning the post-authoritarian state and transitional democracy in Indonesia which is signed by informal actors, process and also patronage model. It is obvious then, that money is not always a central actor within electoral process but another factor like informal networks is quite effective and significant ones. This finding will be very contributive to get better and factual understanding in seeing local politics dynamic in the contemporary democratic regime in Indonesia.