Research Article
Wholesale Coalition in a Sole Candidate Election: The Case of the 2018 Tangerang Regent Election
@INPROCEEDINGS{10.4108/eai.25-6-2019.2287994, author={Khoerun Nisa Fadillah and Panji Anugrah Permana}, title={Wholesale Coalition in a Sole Candidate Election: The Case of the 2018 Tangerang Regent Election}, proceedings={Proceedings of the 1st International Symposium on Indonesian Politics, SIP 2019, 26-27 June 2019, Central Java, Indonesia}, publisher={EAI}, proceedings_a={ISIP}, year={2019}, month={9}, keywords={coalition sole candidate incumbent strategic choice}, doi={10.4108/eai.25-6-2019.2287994} }- Khoerun Nisa Fadillah
Panji Anugrah Permana
Year: 2019
Wholesale Coalition in a Sole Candidate Election: The Case of the 2018 Tangerang Regent Election
ISIP
EAI
DOI: 10.4108/eai.25-6-2019.2287994
Abstract
This study aims to explain why and how all political parties build a coalition to support the incumbent as the sole candidate in a local election. Specifically, it illuminates the case of the 2018 Tangerang local election, which provides rich data on both aspects of the wholesale coalition and the sole candidate. The article argues that the decision of each political party in the coalition to support the incumbent was a strategic choice. The parties considered that the incumbent had more political power and better chance at winning the election than the other candidates. Furthermore, the coalition’s decision was reinforced by the incumbent through side-payment politics in the form of policy promises, decision promises, emotional satisfaction, material benefits, and coattail effects. When agreements with the local party leader failed, the incumbent built an agreement directly with the central board of parties. The central board of parties has the authority to decide the nomination of the candidate, and the local leader inevitably had to accept the decision