Oligarchy in the Jokowi government and its influence on the implementation of legislative function in Indonesia

Abstract

The weak implementation of the House of Representatives’, or Dewan Perwakilan Rakyat’s (DPR), function indicates stagnation in Indonesia’s democracy. This fact is due to the party oligarchy’s stronghold in the Jokowi government, which ignores the nature of public representation that should be carried out. The oligarchy controls the government and DPR’s performance in establishing political compromises for every legislative policy with the government to facilitate the affairs of party oligarchs, who are also the members of the Jokowi government coalition. In addition, they engage in cartel politics to secure their respective power and material interests. This article examines the roles of party oligarchs in influencing the implementation of political functions in the DPR. Ironically, the coalition formed by the party oligarchy has helped the Jokowi government and the DPR to secure government policies and the economic and political interests of the oligarchic group.