Politik Klientelisme Kelas Politik: Studi Kasus Proses Kandidasi Koalisi Nasdem, Golkar dan Hanura dalam Pemilihan Gubernur dan Wakil Gubernur NTT Periode 2018-2023

RUDI ROHI, Dr. Nanang Indra Kurniawan

2021 | Disertasi | DOKTOR ILMU POLITIK

Intisari Penelitian ini membahas tentang politik klientelisme dan praktik demokrasi elektoral lokal. Studi-studi tentang klientelisme didominasi oleh perspektif yang memposisikan klientelisme secara dikotomis dalam spektrum feodal-modern. Literatur-literatur dominan juga didasarkan pada teori-teori yang dihasilkan dari praktik sejarah Barat dan negara ekonomi maju khususnya Eropa Barat dan Mediterania. Sedangkan teori-teori klientelisme yang dihasilkan dari konteks masyarakat transisi dimana modernisasi bekerja dalam masyarakat yang relatif masih bercirikan budaya feodal sangat kurang. Kajian ini berusaha menganalisis politik klientelisme dalam konteks masyarakat transisi yang didominasi oleh kelas politik -- "... orang-orang yang sumber pendapatan utamanya berasal dari negara melalui gaji atau proyek infrastruktur pemerintah secara formal, atau dengan cara informal seperti penyuapan, mark up, sewa, dan korupsi (Vel, 2008). Berangkat dari kasus proses kandidasi dan koalisi dalam pemilihan kepala daerah Gubernur dan Wakil Gubernur Nusa Tenggara Timur (NTT) periode 2018-2023, penelitian ini menganalisis pelembagaan klientelisme dan varian kelembagaannya, dimensi hubungan, dan sentrum sumber daya dalam demokrasi lokal. Penelitian ini menunjukkan bahwa klientelisme telah menjadi pendorong utama praktik demokrasi pemilihan kepala daerah di NTT. Kasus tersebut juga memperlihatkan pergeseran kekuasaan dominan dari partai politik ke kelas politik karena kontrol kelas ini terhadap sumber daya negara. Data dikumpulkan melalui teknik observasi, wawancara, dan dokumen. Analisis memanfaatkan teknik eksplanasi dengan menggunakan kerangka pendekatan institusionalisme empiris yang menggabungkan sejumlah teori antara lain kelas politik, wilayah lokal, veto point and player, primordialisme, instrumentalisme, politik uang, dan identitas. Argumen utama penelitian ini adalah semakin kuat kontrol kelas politik terhadap sumber daya negara, semakin kuat praktik klientelistik di ruang demokrasi lokal yang terpenjara elektoralisme. Kasus pilkada memperlihatkan klientelisme telah digunakan oleh kelas politik untuk bernegosiasi dan berbagi akses ke negara melalui pemilu. Penelitian ini menyoroti bahwa operasi klientelisme bergantung pada dimensi ruang dan relasinya dimana variabel identitas, material, primordialisme, dan instrumentalisme menghasilkan beberapa varian klientelisme lokal: primordialisme identitas, instrumentalisme identitas, primordialisme materialis, instrumentalisme materialis. Temuan penelitian juga menunjukkan peran dominan kelas politik dalam praktik klientelisme karena akses mereka terhadap sumber daya negara. Praktik-praktik ini terwakili dalam dua proses: pertama, perburuan jabatan dan rente di antara elit politik lokal di bawah kelas politik; kedua, imbalan atau politik uang dalam relasi elit politik dengan pemilih. Kasus pilkada di NTT menunjukkan dampak umum klientelisme yang berpotensi menghambat konsolidasi demokrasi. Kata Kunci: Klientelisme, Demokrasi Lokal, Kelas Politik, dan Dimensi Relasi

Abstract This research discusses the politics of clientelism and the practices of local electoral democracy. Literatures on clientelism has been dominated by perspective which positions clientelism in a dichotomic way within feudal-modern spectrum. The dominant literature has also been based on theories that are produced from historical practices of the Western and developed economy particularly West Europe and the Mediterranean. There is a lack of theories on clientelism which are produced from a context of transition where modernization work in societies that are still relatively characterized by feudal culture. The study seeks to analyze the politics of clientelism in a context of transition society which is dominated by political class -- "���¢�¯�¿�½���¦ people who derive their revenues and income primarily from the state, through formal salaries from the offices they occupy, or through commercial or infrastructure projects they implement as commissioned by the government, or by informal means connected to public offices, such as, bribery, mark up, rent, and corruption (Vel, 2008). Drawing on the case of candidacy and coalition processes in the local election for Governor and Deputy Governor of Nusa Tenggara Timur (NTT) period of 2018-2023, this research analyses the institutionalized of clientelism and the variants of its institution, the dimension of the relationship, and center of power resource in local democracy. This research shows how clientelism has been the main driver of local electoral democracy practices in NTT. The case also shows the shift of dominant power from political parties to political class due to their access and control to the state's resources. The empirical data for this analysis was collected through several techniques such as observation, depth interview, and document. The analysis was conducted by using an explanatory technique. The analysis using the framework of empirical institutionalism approach combining a number of theories including class politics, local area, veto point and player, primordialism, instrumentalism, money politics, and identity. The main argument of this research is that the stronger control of the political class to state's resources the stronger clientelistic practices at local democracy that imprisoned in electoralism. The case of local election in that clientelism politics has been used by the political class to negotiate and share access to the state among political elites through elections. Yet, this research highlights that the operation of clientelism depends on its dimension of space and relation. My research finds that variables of identity, material, primordialism, and instrumentalism produce several variants of local clientelism: identity primordialism, identity instrumentalism, materialist primordialism, materialist instrumentalism. The research findings also show the dominant role of a political class in the practices of clientelism due to their control and access to the state's resources. These practices are represented in two processes: first, office-seeking and rent-seeking among local political elites under political class; second, pay-off seeking or money politics in the relation between political elite and voters. The case of local elections in NTT indicates the general impact of clientelism is potentially obstructing the consolidation of democracy. Key Words: Clientelism, Local Democracy, Class Politics, and Dimension of Relation

Kata Kunci : Klientelisme, Demokrasi Lokal, Kelas Politik, dan Dimensi Relasi/ Clientelism, Local Democracy, Class Politics, and Dimension of Relation