Ethnic Cleavages: The Descendant and Clan Sentiment on The Election of Regional Executives (Pemilukada) in Northern Tapanuli, North Sumatera Province

Abstract

This study aims to understand the phenomenon of ethnicity, namely the existence of ethnic cleavages in the form of strengthening social units through descent and clan sentiments at the moment of election of the regional executive (Pemilukada) in the era of democratic decentralization. This problem was approached using Dunning and Harrison's theory of cross-cutting cleavages and ethnic voting.  Data collection was carried out through in-depth interviews with subjects, namely descendants and clans in four districts in the northern Tapanuli. The results of the study show that (i) ethnic cleavages occur because of the utilization and mobilization of social units namely descent and clan groups in the moment of Pemilukada , (ii) the strengthening of descent and clan group sentiments in Pemilukada is the impact of competition and contestation which are packaged as political capital for gain power, and (iii) political actors redefine ethnicity as Tobanese to smaller identities namely descendants and clans in each cultural region. The strengthening of factions in internal ethnicity is a strong indication of cleavages and the game of primordialism in the era of democratic decentralization