Elections, governance, and polarization in Indonesian villages

This study captures how the Village Law (UU) Number 6 of 2014 has radically changed political behavior at the village level. The political dynamics involved several former DPRD members, former KPU members, and local businessmen in the succession arena for the Village Head Election (Pilkades), in which conditions were rarely encountered in previous times. This study analyzed how changes occurred as they were triggered by the struggle for resources due to the allocation of village funds (DD). This study uses qualitative research methods. Data were collected through interviews with actors who contested in village elections, documentation, and literature studies. The results of this study show how changes in political behavior at the village level only occur after the Village Law is enacted. This study concludes that the Village Law number 6 of 2014 has shifted the political behavior of rural communities as evidenced by the massive circulation of money politics which has led to tense political battles. This study also concludes that the Village Law entices political actors and local businessmen to participate in the contest to seize the power of the village head.

Law no. 6 of 2014 concerning villages regulates the appointment and dismissal of village heads. In carrying out the mandate for 6 years, it cannot be denied that along the way the village head will die, resign or be dismissed for one reason or another. Law no. 6/2014 does not regulate in detail the mechanism for replacing the village head. The replacement mechanism is regulated in derivative regulations, such as government regulations (PP) and several Minister of Home Affairs regulations. This article will analyze the mechanism for replacing village heads as regulated in the village law and its derivatives. The results of the research show that Law no. 6 of 2014 and its derivative regulations stipulate that if the village head dies, resigns from his position, and fulfills one of the conditions for being dismissed, the BPD reports to the regent via the sub-district head. The regent/mayor will make a decision to permanently dismiss the village head. The replacement of the village head then looks at 2 things, firstly, if the remaining term of office of the dismissed village head is less than 1 year, then leadership in the village will be held by the acting village head until the village head election. However, if the remaining term of office of the village head is more than 1 year, then leadership in the village is held by the acting village head until the village head is elected at the village meeting.

The enactment of Law Number 6 of 2014 concerning Villages has brought fresh air to accelerate the development of villages and rural areas, where one of the fundamental changes is the recognition (recognition) of the function of the village as a Self Governing Community in line with local self government. The village law becomes the legal umbrella for the administration of village government, which at a certain level opens up space for more autonomous governance for the government at the village level. Governance includes all the mechanisms, processes, and institutions through which citizens and community groups express their interests, exercise legal rights, fulfill obligations and bridge differences between them. This type of research is descriptive research with a qualitative approach. This approach and type is used because the researcher wants to explain and describe Community Governance in village government. The conclusion from this article is that one model of community governance is village government, where in the village government the center of local political power is represented through the Village Head, Village Consultative Body, and their apparatus. The position of village government is also very important considering that the majority of Indonesia's population lives in rural areas. The implementation of village government in the Village Law cannot be separated from the participation of the village community. Keywords: Community Governance, Village Government

This study investigates the implementation and adoption of QRIS (Quick Response Code Indonesian Standard) digital payment systems in rural Indonesia, focusing on factors influencing adoption and its impact on financial inclusion and economic development. Employing a quantitative descriptive approach, data were collected through structured questionnaires from 502 rural QRIS users, selected via purposive sampling. Two-Way ANOVA was used to analyze regional-specific factors affecting adoption patterns in rural contexts. The findings reveal low financial literacy, strong reliance on cash transactions, and limited perceived usefulness of QRIS among rural communities. While basic infrastructure like device ownership and internet access exists to some extent, barriers such as lack of education, limited social support, and low trust in digital financial systems hinder fintech adoption. However, the study identifies growing potential for QRIS usage in rural areas, with user intention indicating a positive outlook, particularly if supported by targeted education, stronger government initiatives, and simplified technology design. This research contributes to the literature on rural fintech adoption by specifically examining QRIS usage in Indonesian villages. It highlights unique barriers such as low financial literacy, limited social support, and trust issues, offering a rural-specific perspective using an integrated analytical framework. Unlike previous studies centered on urban areas, this research provides valuable insights into the challenges and opportunities for digital payment adoption in rural Indonesia. The findings can inform policymakers, fintech companies, and financial institutions in developing strategies to enhance QRIS adoption and promote financial inclusion in rural areas.

This research aims to analyze the role of the younger generation and their participation in the election of village heads in Percut Sei Tuan District, Medan City. The younger generation has great potential in determining the direction of village development through their active participation in local level democratic processes. However, there are still challenges in encouraging political awareness and the interest of the younger generation to participate. This research method uses a qualitative approach with data collection techniques through interviews, observation and documentation studies. The research results show that the role of the younger generation in village head elections still needs to be improved, especially in the aspects of political understanding, awareness of the importance of their votes, and the initiative to get involved in various campaign activities. This research suggests that there should be more intensive political education and socialization programs so that the younger generation is more motivated to actively participate in village head elections, so that they can contribute to better village development. In analyzing how the younger generation plays a role in the process of selecting Village Heads in Percut Seituan District, Medan City. The younger generation has great potential in supporting social and political development, especially in increasing political involvement at the village level. Even so, the participation of the younger generation in the Village Head Election in Percut Seituan District is still inadequate. This occurs due to many factors, such as a lack of political awareness, minimal information about the electoral process, and limited opportunities for the younger generation to be actively involved in local politics. This research applies a qualitative approach by conducting in-depth interviews with a number of young people, village head candidates and community leaders. Research reveals that the young generation in Percut Seituan District has a great opportunity to be involved in village head elections. However, they are faced with major obstacles, namely a lack of adequate political knowledge and an apathetic attitude towards local politics. Therefore, steps need to be taken to increase political awareness among the younger generation and provide wider opportunities for them to be involved in the democratic process in the village. The active involvement of the younger generation in village head elections will increase democracy at the local level and encourage the formation of village governments that are more responsive to the needs of residents.

Village Head Election is the Implementation of People's Sovereignty in the Village in order to elect someone to serve as Village Head in a direct, public, free, secret, honest and fair manner. The Village Head Election activity is not an arena of competition between Village communities but is a democratic method that is expected can give birth to leaders who are truly responsible for their positions and side with the interests of the community in the Village, but in reality the Village Head Election activities are not as good as imagined and expected because they have been colored by various negative methods from certain parties to win Candidate pairs for certain village heads, apart from money politics is so popular among the community, it turns out there is an element of pressure from political elites and the Government, it is hoped that the Village Head who will be elected can reciprocate the favor of his supporting elites in the next elections such as the Regional Head Election and the election of legislative members, with this pressure and coercion This has had implications for the emergence of social friction within the village community so that the stability and harmony of the community are divided and conflict with each other. This problem focuses on the mental reconstruction of money politics as a violation of democratic rights in intervening in village head elections. This researcher uses normative juridical research methods using primary data and secondary data with social approach methods, conseptual approach, regulatory approaches and case approaches, as supporting data with agencies. related to drawing deductive conclusions By explaining the mental politics of money in democracy as a way of thinking of people in a democracy who are healthier in using their voting rights in village head elections through Permendagri Number 112 of 2014 concerning Election of Village Heads as amended by Permendagri Number 65 of 2017 and amended by Permendagri Number 72 It is hoped that the 2020 Village Head Election will become the basis and reference for a democracy that is free, confidential, honest and fair.

In Indonesia, the Village Head Election is the implementation of people’s sovereignty to choose village heads in a direct, public, free, confidential, honest, and just manner as stated in Regulation of the Minister of Internal Affairs No. 27 of 2020. This paper aims to analyze deviant behavior in the Village Head Elections that may bring harm to other people that involve the role of supernatural beings committed by Village Head Election participants. The importance of learning magic for the Village Head Election includes: (1) to influence the opinion of society who have suffrage rights; (2) to manipulate the obtainment of votes; (3) to make other Village Head Election participants die and/or sick; and (4) to influence the opinion of Village Head Election organizers. This paper employed the juridical empirical research method in the field of the legal anthropology scientific discipline. It used the behavioral approach. This paper aims to understand how mystical practices may influence election results that should ideally be carried out in a just and honest manner as well as to increase awareness of the risk of unethical behavior in the election process. Results showed that mystical things are always closely related to the culture of the Indonesian nation from era to era, including in its political culture. It can be seen that in every leadership of national figures, mystical activities are practiced. Contestants will visit shamans by sending voodoo to their political opponents so that they can win the political contestation. Apart from that, there are those who carry out rituals that are believed to be effective as a way to win the contestation in the political realm. The novelty of this research is that authors not only analyze the magical aspect of the Village Head Elections but also how magic is believed and implemented at the national level. The implication of this case is that it is rather difficult to prove magical cases. Thus, it leads to the occurrence of widespread suspicion among all parties.

This study explains that the implementation of good governance principles in village administration is a crucial foundation for establishing transparent, participatory, and accountable governance, while also promoting the integration of gender perspectives to achieve inclusive governance. The research analyzes the extent to which good governance principles have accommodated gender aspects in village governance policies and practices based on Law Number 6 of 2014 concerning Villages. This study employs a normative legal research method, using both statutory and conceptual approaches to analyze the application of good governance within the village governance system. The analysis primarily uses Law Number 6 of 2014 as the analytical tool. The findings reveal that good governance is a fundamental concept in establishing sound government. The principles of good governance, although unwritten, can in certain circumstances be drawn upon as applicable legal norms. When good governance is achieved, good government will follow. According to the Village Law, the application of good governance in the village governance system can be seen through implementing several principles, such as legal certainty, orderly administration, transparency, accountability, effectiveness, efficiency, public interest, local wisdom, and participation. However, alongside these opportunities, implementing good governance in village governance also faces various challenges. Opportunities include: a supportive legal and regulatory framework, the availability of village funds, a local culture that supports participation, and advances in information technology. The challenges include: limited human resource capacity, risks of corruption and abuse of power, low public participation, political interference and conflicts of interest, and unequal access to information technology.

This research examines legal protection for the rights of village communities. The focus of this study is Law no. 6 of 2014 concerning Villages. The type of research method that will be used in this research is in the category of normative legal research. Because normative research mainly uses library materials as a source of research data. or also called (Library research), a method used to collect data from various literature. This research approach is a conceptual approach and conceptual approach. The results of this research state that, firstly, the rights of village communities are an authority or power granted by law. An interest that is protected by law, both private and public, secondly legal protection, the village government has the obligation to fulfill the rights that have been regulated in the Village Law. However, what is not regulated in the Village Law is the regulation of legal protection if these rights are not granted, resulting in legal uncertainty.

The Village Government (geuchik), has a very important role in regulating and managing the interests of the community both in the village government and in the form of village head elections. Therefore, to create a clean and transparent village government in the election of the village head, in this study I will create an E-Voting program in the election of the village head. However, as time goes on and based on facts on the ground, what has been done so far, there are still many shortcomings and problems in data validation and the lack of knowledge and a high level of public emotionality in winning one candidate for village head, thus triggering conflict between residents, on the other hand the electoral system Conventionally, village heads can also be indicated as cheating. In an effort to avoid fraud in the village head election (Geuchik), an idea or idea is needed in the form of using technology based on the E-voting website and can be run using a computer or laptop device that has the E-Voting application installed so that it can be done transparently, effectively, efficient and professional that is expected in the election of the Village Head, in supporting E-Government in this study will be carried out in the Batoh Village (Gampong), Luengbata sub- district, Banda Aceh City.

Unlike during the New Order era which saw village as an extension of the central government without adequate authority to run the village government, village now has recently become self -governing community equipped with broad authority to manage their own affairs for the sake of realizing people’s welfare. It is an entity of community combined with government. It is community who possesses special governmental organizational structure with unique and vast authority to carry out development programs. In doing so, they handle themselves autonomously based on their own cultural values, their initiatives. As such, the central government has nothing but to respect and concede the uniqueness of its each respective village across the nation. In addition, central government has to allocate state budget to realize social and economic justice for more than 17,000 villages. This is the way the Village Law No 6 2014 has designed which differs dramatically from the previous village law. It has adopted recognition and subsidiarity principle in managing village development. In order this to materialize, Village Council whose membership consists elected representatives from among the villagers prominent figures has been empowered its political roles by means of annulling its inherent legislative authorities. To pave the way, it is positioned outside the formal village government organizational structure which makes it fit to function as representative of villagers civil organization. Given this setting, the Council’s main duty is to fight to people’s interest by preventing themselves from village government vested political interest. To make things better, the law has authorized it to organize a strategic villagers gathering held annually namely Village Meeting. As the key actor of the meeting, the council members has to show off their capacities in political communication as well as public communication to run village democratic governance whose operating values are transparency and accountability. For this to occur, advocating people’s information rights is necessary requirement. By so doing, those values will institutionalize within village government daily operations by establishing Public Information and Archives Operator as required by Public Information Transparency Law No 11 2008 which will bring about good village governance. DOI: https://doi.org/10.26905/pjiap.v2i1.1447

Since the enactment of Village Law No. 6/2014, rural communities in Indonesia have gained greater autonomy, aimed at promoting democratic governance and enhancing rural welfare. However, village democracy still faces persistent challenges, including elite dominance, limited civic participation, and unequal access to welfare. This study examines the relationship between democracy and welfare within the theoretical framework of deliberative democracy, using a mixed-methods approach in three ecologically and politically distinct villages in West Java: Gelaranyar, Margahayu, and Pantai Bahagia. The Village Democracy Index, based on eight indicators, is analyzed alongside the People’s Welfare Index, which captures key dimensions of socioeconomic well-being. The findings indicate that rational and inclusive deliberation, as well as the fair application of procedural rules in village decision-making, lead to more responsive policies and equitable allocation of resources. These democratic processes are positively correlated with improvements in health, employment, and social protection. However, enhanced transparency and civil society engagement do not always translate into better infrastructure or environmental outcomes. These results underscore the importance of strengthening deliberative, participatory, and data-driven village governance to promote inclusive and sustainable rural development. Reforms must ensure that village deliberative processes go beyond procedural compliance toward data driven substantive democratic practices to achieve equitable welfare outcomes.

The current political and legal configuration of the village head election organizing institution is not yet in accordance with election governance with integrity. This happens because the institutional structure is not well ordered. This research examines the problem of legal regulation of the structure of the village head election institution, and looks for the ideal framework for the organization to organize the village head election in the future. The research method used is normative and doctrinal legal research method which is carried out by analyzing positive legal norms. Data collection techniques are carried out by reviewing applicable laws and regulations, books and other literature. The results showed that the legal arrangements for village head election organizers through related regulations led to many institutional structures for village head elections so that the funding for village head elections would be expensive. The idea of an ideal framework for an organizing institution for village head elections in the future can be done by shifting the model of the village head election organizing institution from a government model to an independent model. The application of this model can be done through a legislative or executive review of regulations related to village head elections, and at least including the KPU as the organizing agency for village head elections.

This article discusses the leadership influence of the Acting Village Head who acts as a leader in the Haurngombong Village Government, Pamulihan District, Sumedang Regency. The presence of the Acting Village Head as a result of the resignation of the definitive Village Head in the village is a highlight of the focus of this research topic. With an emphasis on knowing the influence in leading, in addition to trying to discuss the satisfaction of the community with the official's leadership. This study uses a juridical normative research method, with a qualitative approach. Furthermore, bibliographical materials in the form of legislation and other data sources are analyzed to obtain results as accurate as possible. The results of this study include: (1) The task of the government is optimal community service, based on the fourth paragraph of the Preamble to the 1945 Constitution as the state's goal for the welfare of the community. (2) The basis for implementing Village Government is regulated in the Village Law. (3) the influence of the leadership of the Acting Village Head in Haurngombong Village is enormous, especially the leadership of Mr. Zaman who always provides efficient and pro-people innovations is considered to have succeeded in leading the people of Haurngombong Village optimally. Both the village community and village officials were very satisfied with the leadership of Mr. Zaman as the Acting Village Head in the Haurngombong Village Government of Sumedang Regency.

The Village Minister Regulation No. 21 of 2020 on general guidelines for village development and village community empowerment was enacted to carry out Article 131 paragraph (1) of the Government Regulation concerning Village Law and was issued to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This research aims to discover and examine village development to achieve The Village SDGs according to village minister regulation No. 21 of 2020 by conducting interviews with related parties in Tirtonirmolo Village using normative and empirical juridical methodologies. This research examined three problem formulations: village minister regulation No. 21 of 2020, the obstacles, and the village government’s efforts. The 2022 village development plan in Tirtonirmolo village to achieve village SDGs followed the stages in village minister regulation No. 21 of 2020. However, there were obstacles to its implementation, particularly at the SDGs data collection stage. The village government has attempted to address this by constantly coordinating with village assistants, engaging IT-savvy human resources to assist with SDGs data collection activities, manually collecting data, and holding the Musrenbangdus.