Semarang – Thursday, April 17, 2024 – The Theater Room of FISIP UNDIP was filled with hundreds of enthusiastic participants attending the book launch titled “Evaluasi Pencalonan Pilkada Jawa Tengah 2024“, held on Thursday, April 17, 2025.

This event was a collaboration between the Sindikasi Pemilu Demokrasi (SPD), Central Java Provincial Election Commission (KPU Jawa Tengah), and the Department of Politics and Government Science, FISIP UNDIP. The book launch drew great interest from electoral politics enthusiasts, including academics, students, political parties, election organizers, journalists, and civil society members from across Central Java.

The book, “Evaluasi Pencalonan Pilkada Jawa Tengah 2024“, published in 2025, is based on research conducted by the Sindikasi Pemilu Demokrasi. The research focused on the candidacy processes in five regions: the Province of Central Java, Semarang Regency, Kendal Regency, Sukoharjo Regency, and Banyumas Regency.

The book highlights two key areas: (1) the dynamics and challenges in the candidacy stage, and (2) the crucial roles of election management bodies, political parties, and civil society in safeguarding the integrity of local democratic processes.

Specifically, the book underscores how candidacy regulations and electoral political practices have contributed to the weakening of competition and limited participatory channels in regional elections.

The Constitutional Court’s Decision No. 60/PUU-XXII/2024, which allows candidacy without parliamentary seats, and the implementation of the Candidate Information System (SILON), are two critical aspects evaluated in terms of whether legal and technological instruments can foster inclusive and competitive candidacy.

The launch event, moderated by Lusia Astrika, M.Si, a lecturer from the Department of Politics and Government Science, began with a presentation by Aqidatul Izza Zain, M.I.P, a researcher from SPD. She presented the results of an expert assessment on the 2024 presidential election, where two out of seven evaluated variables received low scores: electoral competitiveness (3,04) and the candidacy process (3,63). These findings indicate that post-2024 presidential election, Indonesia may be entering a phase of electoral authoritarianism regime.

This is what prompted SPD to study local political contestation in Central Java in 2024. Izza stated, “Is the practice of electoral democracy at the local level truly fair and competitive?”

 

 

Dr. Nur Hidayat Sardini, Head of the Department of Politics and Government Science, FISIP UNDIP, and former Head of Election Supervisory Board (Bawaslu) RI (2008–2012), also offered a reflective introduction. Known by the acronym NHS, he emphasized that the 2024 Central Java regional elections experienced four significant political turbulences: competition between two high-ranking military and police officials, internal conflicts within national political subcultures (Jokowi–Megawati), authoritarian populism, and the simultaneous conduct of elections within the same year.

The first discussant, Muhammad Machruz, ST from KPU Central Java, shared observations regarding candidates unfamiliar to local communities receiving party endorsements from the central level.

“We call this a regional regime that is shaped by central-level preferences”, Machruz remarked. “We even identified cases of dual endorsements from political parties, such as what occurred in Kendal,” he added.

The second discussant, Dr. Fitriyah, M.A from FISIP UNDIP, provided an in-depth analysis of the revised candidacy threshold in regional elections following the Constitutional Court’s Decision No. 60/PUU-XXII/2024, which permits participation of candidates from parties without parliamentary seats and independents.

“The court’s decision is actually a positive step, but unfortunately it was issued too close to the election, making it difficult to increase the number of candidates,” Fitriyah explained. She also noted additional contributing factors, such as weak party cadre development, the extension of national-level coalitions to local contests, and the pragmatism of political parties in winning elections.

Meanwhile, Erik Kurniawan, Executive Director of the Sindikasi Pemilu Demokrasi, highlighted the ongoing pattern of electoral autocracy, marked by weakened competition and central government dominance. He noted that the number of uncontested candidates in the 2024 elections increased by 48% compared to 2020.

He also addressed the growing involvement of youth in local politics, raising the question: “Is this a sign of hope for Indonesia’s political future, or merely a continuation of local political dynasties?”

The Q&A session was filled with enthusiasm, as participants including academics, students, election officials, and civil society members; actively engaged in discussion. At the end of the event, organizers distributed free copies of the book to all attendees.

 

 

Contact Person:
Jihan Marsya Azzahra/FISIP Undip  (+62 82133145913)