Political Party Conflict and Governmental Relations Dynamics

Abstract

The contestation over the seat of local head (DPD) I of Golkar Party of North Maluku between Alien Mus and Edi Langkara Factions leads to appointment of strategic elite at DPD II level in Central Halmahera Regency to determine the head of the House of People’s Representatives. It has almost been eight months that the head of the Local House of People’s Representatives (DPRD) from the election winning party, namely Golkar party, has not been inaugurated. The internal DPD II of Edi Langkara faction who is the Regent of Central Halmahera rejects inauguration of head of DPRD from Alien Mus faction. The internal conflict even drags 17 DPRD members from other parties into the conflict arena. The Provincial Government as the Central Government’s representative and even the ministry of home affairs are involved in solving the complex matters since at the same time the resistance between the two governmental institutions (executive – legislative) gets more disharmonious. This article explains Golkar Party’s internal conflict and its impact on the relations between the legislative and executive institutions in the inauguration of head of DPRD. This article employed qualitative descriptive approach and used primary and secondary data. The result shows that Golkar party’s consolidation is quite fragile, particularly at DPD I, as the consequence of minimum consolidation and weakening level of across level trust among internal party members. Regent’s intervention, who is also Golkar’s secretary general, makes the relations between the two institutions disharmonious. In the future, party’s internal and external consolidation and harmonization are necessary to ensure continuous good relations between legislative and executive institutions, including in determining strategic position.