FROM NEW ORDER TO REFORMASI ORDER: INDONESIAN SUBNATIONAL POLITICS IN POST-NEW ORDER ERA

The dramatic changes taking place in Indonesian politics since the fall of Soeharto's autocratic regime has resulted in Indonesia's political space becoming more open and democracy beginning to flourishagain in the country. Local politics that were previously restricted and not allowed during Soeharto's time began to open up andlocal people began to regain autonomy in their respective districts. This paper discusses and analyzes subnational politics in Indonesia before and after the political transformation of 1998. The aimis to portray the political changes at the subnational level during both periods. This paper argues that during the New Order era, the centralized system of government is the main factor that hindered the growth of a vibrant democracy at the local level. This is because the centralization of power gave rise to two things. On the one hand, this established a collaboration between the central and local elites to maintain the central power, and on the other hand, it also led to opposition from other local elites who became known as the 'local strongmen. The effect that arose from the colloboration of central elite and local strongmen is the cooptation of political democracy at the subnational level. During the Reformasi Order, the expectation that the collaboration ofcentral elite and local strongmen will change did not happen and this led to the emergence of new political dynasties in some districts. Thus, political reform that is expected to bring about total changes to the Indonesian politics remains. This led to the perceived changes to remain an illusion.