Pembangunan Demokrasi Elektoral di Tingkat Lokal (Studi terhadap Polarisasi Politik pada Pemilihan Gubernur Sumatera Utara Tahun 2018

Abstract

Following the DKI Jakarta Regional Head Election in 2017, the 2018 North Sumatra

Regional Head Election demonstrates a sharp political polarization in society.

Polarization tends to be based on religious identity issues which potentially ignites

social segregation and conflict in society. The use of social media and the presence of

figures in spreading issues in political campaigns sharpens polarization. Referring to

the theory of affective polarization, identity politics and electoral democracy, the

objective of the study is to explain in depth how the form of polarization occurs in the

2018 North Sumatra regional elections, why polarization develops so sharply and how

the future of electoral democracy at the local level in terms of the political polarization

is. Then, it examines how the political campaign model is able to minimize political

polarization. This study employs a qualitative method approach and carries out

documentation, FGDs and in-depth interviews to collect observational data. The data

analysis employs Miles and Huberman and phenomenological analysis techniques. The

findings indicate that there is polarization of hatred based on religious issues in the

2018 North Sumatra election. However, this polarization exists solely for the sake of

winning electoral votes. There are no religious community conflicts in North Sumatra

before and after the regional elections took place. The sharp polarization is caused by

the spread of religious blasphemy and anti-blasphemy issues through social media

channels, as happened in the 2017 DKI Jakarta regional elections, as well as figures

involved in the political campaign for the 2018 North Sumatra regional elections.

Furthermore, this study suggests that political polarization during regional elections

degrades local democracy and has the potential to disrupt democratic consolidation at

both at the local and national levels. The study discovers "bounded deliberative"

campaign model as a model that is considered capable of decreasing the incidence of

political polarization, especially with regard to religious issues in the regional

elections. The literature search finds that all political campaign models are only

focused on ways and efforts to win votes in elections, none of which addresses on the

issue of polarization of hatred in society as a result of political campaigns. In the bound

deliberative model, candidates are given ample of opportunity to campaign and

provide to all levels of society, but this freedom is bound to formal regulations such as

laws, the General Election Commission (KPU) regulations, government regulations

and agreements made by all the elements involved. This study emphases on the

regulation of the use of media and issues, figures and specifically the winning

volunteers involved in the political campaign to win the regional elections.