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Over the last decade, Indonesia’s process of democratisation and decentralisation has brought local political empowerment to many parts of Indonesia, including the island of Lombok. Located est of the islands of Java and Bali, Lombok and the island of Sumbawa together make up the Indonesian province of Nusa Tenggara Barat (NTB). The seismic political changes that have occured in Indonesia since the end of authoritarianism in 1998 and the governance reforms that followed have created much change on Lombok, and have led to intense competition between local political elites.

Tension over the spoils of decentralisation have created potential for conflict in Indonesia, particularly during election periods. These elections have provided “lucrative opportunities” which have seen “new forces emerge and old ones ressurrected.” There have been incidents of violence and unrest reported during election in Lombok in 1999 and 2003, and violence connected to local elections is now a practical ongoing concern for political leaders and law enforcement agencies across Indonesia. This is not surprising given the continual electoral cycle across Indonesia: there is an election almost daily somewhere in the archipelago at the local, provincial or national levels of government.

This paper seeks to explore these issues through a case study of social instability and demonstration that affected the West Lombok village of Bok in July 2008. During this time, serious allegations against a village official led to demonstrations that threatened to explode into violence. By investigating this event in detail, it is hoped that the nuanced, localised and often volatile nature of post-Soeharto Indonesian electoral politics can be illuminated. The paper concludes with brief recommendations for donors and others involved in the law governance sectors in Indonesia.

Author/Speaker:KINGSLEY Jeremy