The Dynamics of Local Governance Reform in Decentralizing Indonesia: Participatory Planning and Village Empowerment in Bandung, West Java

抄録

Conservatives within the central government and experts on democratic theory insisted that Indonesian people (let alone people in the regions) are “not yet ready for democracy.” Contrary to the statement, quite a few innovations in local governance have appeared during the process of Indonesia’s democratic decentralization. Among them, the district (kabupaten) government of Bandung, West Java Province has put in place two reform initiatives—participatory development and village empowerment—despite the long tradition of centralized control and the military’s involvement in local politics.

How did reform initiatives emerge from the old political landscape in the first place? Who are the key actors in local governance reform? What are the impediments to local governance reform and how can these be removed? And what is meant by “deepening democracy?” This paper explores these questions by focusing on the process of local governance reform upon which the district government of Bandung has embarked.

The local political landscape in Bandung in the Reformasi era is distinguished from that of the New Order by increased political competition. With power not only decentralized to the district government but also diversified to several political institutions, the new mechanism of accountability in the region has influenced not only how the district government thinks but also what it does. Political competition with increased responsibilities propels the district government to cooperate with civil society organizations (CSOs). In Bandung, CSOs with links to the district government and a practical knowledge of public policy played a critical role in transforming the concepts of local governance reform into the concrete models of participatory planning and village empowerment.

The process of reform in the local government has been complicated by the political actors who continue to compete for power. This struggle has been between key political institutions within the district government and at times it has resulted in the reform of local governance being stalled. It was at such moments that the CSOs with links to the district government played a vital role in reconciling vested political interests. As will be shown in the case of Bandung, the involvement of CSOs in local governance reform facilitated communications, reduced the tension between the agencies, and helped to bridge the gap between the state and civil society.