THE PRACTICE OF IDENTITY POLITICS IN THE BANGKA BELITUNG REGIONAL HEAD ELECTION

Abstract

The practice of identity politics built through a regime of power is part of a social fact that has grown more widely in various regions in Indonesia, especially post-reformation. The difference between identity politics in Indonesia is essential to study to maintain political stability. The phenomenon of strengthening identity politics is explicitly found in the Province of Bangka Belitung Islands. This study aims to analyze the Practice of Identity Politics in the Pilkada of Bangka Belitung. This research uses a qualitative approach. This research was conducted in the Province of Bangka Belitung Islands. The research results show that the people of Bangka Belitung as a multi-ethnic community in their daily life before the election live in a harmonious atmosphere. Enter the post-conflict local election period, inter-ethnic relations, especially between local indigenous groups, native immigrants, and Chinese ethnic groups, were divided into ethnic groups based on primordial sentiments. The ethnic identities of the people of the Bangka Belitung Islands Province can be grouped into three groups. The three groups include the indigenous ethnic group, the indigenous immigrant ethnic group, and the Tinghoa ethnic group. In the political context in a multi-ethnic region, especially in the post-conflict local election / legislative election contestation, identifying ethnic identity is imperative. Actor in the arena to win the ethnic identity battle becomes a strategy in contestation. Factors supporting actors in winning the battle to gain power, maintain, and even expand power in the arena must be supported by capital, a cultural capital, or symbolic capital and take advantage of primordial sentiments.

Keywords

• politics
• identity
• power
• public relations