(De)politicization of COVID-19 Pandemic in the Implementation of 2020 Simultaneous Regional Elections

Abstrak

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) takes effect on state management in
Indonesia. Good crisis management is necessary to mitigate COVID-19. This
research uses Beland ‘s conceptual framework on politics of insecurity and its
implementation on the state's management crisis process, especially on how
the state protects its citizens towards non-traditional threads while
performing political accountability. The 2020 Simultaneous Regional
Election (Pilkada) during pandemic is positioned as a case study, especially
on how policy conflicts and calculation of benefits-risks occur. It has a pivotal
role in establishing perception of collective thread. In the case of 2020
Simultaneous Regional Election, conflict in policy creates social anxiety and
political tension caused by a health crisis. This research finds that the
government (de) politicized the 2020 Simultaneous Regional Elections by
using a repertoire of types of strategies, i.e: avoiding blame and claiming
credit, which were carefully compiled and implemented in a specific frame.