Impaired Neutrality: A Propensity That Occurs Among Indonesian Bureaucrats in the Election

Abstract

This paper explores the propensity of neutrality disruption among Indonesian civil servants during political elections. It aims to provide empirical evidence to prove that some Indonesian civil servants have the proclivity to violate neutrality by supporting political candidates in a campaign or through social media during the elections. This research was conducted with qualitative methods by literature review, examining policy documents, and a descriptive study to provide an overview of the theoretical normative and practical findings. This research utilized the Indonesian Civil Service Commission (KASN RI) report which showcased 1,399 neutrality violation reports and 982 neutrality violation cases among Indonesian civil servants in 2020 (2020 was the year of 270 simultaneous heads of regional elections in Indonesia), making Indonesia among the “few & self-interest” sphere countries in the modified dimension of interest and societal spheres framework. As the way out from the neutrality infringement paradox, this paper proposed a collaborative approach between government agencies to overcome civil servant neutrality violations and strategies to reduce abuse of power by the head of the government agency during the elections. The implication of this study is to remind the bureaucracy that dynamics and disharmony in implementing neutral competence and political responsiveness inside the bureaucracy occur during elections. Academically, this study is significant in showcasing the complex relationship between neutral competence and political responsiveness in bureaucracy. Practically, the study is substantial for the bureaucracy to learn how to prevent and be immune from political influence during the election.

Portrait of the Politicization of Indonesian Bureaucracy in the 2024 Election

“…While regulations governing the neutrality of civil servants (read: bureaucracy) already exist, there is still bias in the field despite an appeal from the General Election Supervisory Board of the Republic of Indonesia (Bawaslu RI). As the Chairman of Bawaslu RI stated, bureaucratic neutrality was again in the spotlight during the 2019 simultaneous elections; at least 93 City Districts (18.1%) in Indonesia had a vulnerability index for bureaucratic neutrality (Ryu & Virindra, 2023). Therefore, efforts to suppress the bureaucratic neutrality vulnerability index need to be carried out consistently and resistantly by election stakeholders, both government institutions and bureaucratic professional institutions.…”

The Influence of Candidate Figures and Perception of Leadership Quality on Electa-bility in The Regional Head Election of DKI Jakarta

“…This election process has significant implications for the direction of policies and development in a region. Therefore, the election of regional leaders must be carried out by considering factors that can influence the public's choice of candidates (Ryu & Virindra, 2023).…”