Sole Candidate in the Local Leader Election and Its Implications on the Supervision of the Democratic Process in Indonesia

Abstract

The sole candidate in the local leader election has become a phenomenon in the world of democracy in Indonesia. The sole candidate in the local leader election in Indonesia, is considered a solution to the impasse of democracy since 2015. This phenomenon has become a solution as well as a polemic in the community, because it is full of monopoly power. This study examines the implementation of a sole candidate in the local leader election in Bone Regency and its implications on the democratic process. This research is classified as field research with qualitative methods, while the approach used is descriptive analytic. The data sources of this research are based on primary data and secondary data. Primary data were taken from the results of interviews and observations. The results of this study indicate that the practice of selecting a sole candidate (choosing an empty column) in Bone Regency is not in the same breath as democracy and reduces the interests of the people's sovereignty in electing a leader. Some of the implications that arise include: a monopoly on political parties, injuring the interests of local communities, sole candidate competition which results in harassment and complications of pressure on voters who campaign for empty columns. As a result, people feel that their rights are not taken into account in the local leader election. The implication of this finding is that in responding to the practice of selecting sole candidates as in Bone Regency, there are many problems, so the sole candidate competition must be ended immediately because it is not in tune with the philosophical meaning of democracy.