Democratic Regression in Indonesian Local Elections: Police in Political Positions Prior to The West Java Governor Election 2018

Abstract

This article examines the democratic regression in Indonesia before the local political competition, particularly the 2018 West Java regional election, by investigating the allocation of police officers to civilian political positions. This study contends that the government plays a role in the development of challenges in police professionalism that become apparent during democratic elections. In this study, the government achieved this by assigning serving police personnel to civilian political positions, particularly as temporary governors. This study employs a qualitative methodology that entails conducting desk research to analyze secondary data from many sources, such as books, journals, articles, reports, and official documents, with a specific focus on government regulations. The research findings validate that the connection between the police and the regime forms a political alliance between the state and the police, resulting in the police's role and engagement in the political sphere, particularly during elections. Local political competitions in Indonesia are currently experiencing degradation in democratic processes, which has become a notable phenomenon of democratic regression.