Reframing democratic legitimacy and public accountability: an interdisciplinary analysis of DPRD-based regional head elections in Indonesia
##plugins.themes.academic_pro.article.main##
Abstract
Studies on regional head elections in Indonesia have predominantly examined either the constitutional legality of direct and indirect electoral mechanisms or their political implications for democratic participation and governance stability. However, limited attention has been given to the interdisciplinary relationship between constitutional legitimacy and public accountability within the Regional People’s Representative Council (DPRD)-based regional head election system. This study addresses this gap by integrating constitutional law and public administration perspectives to analyze how indirect regional head elections shape democratic legitimacy, accountability patterns, and local governance structures in Indonesia. Using a normative juridical method with a qualitative analytical approach, this study examines constitutional provisions, statutory regulations, Constitutional Court interpretations, and relevant scholarly literature. The findings demonstrate that the DPRD-based election mechanism possesses constitutional legitimacy under Article 18 paragraph (4) of the 1945 Constitution, which adopts the phrase “democratically elected” and allows both direct and indirect electoral models as part of an open legal policy framework. Nevertheless, the study reveals that procedural constitutional legitimacy does not automatically ensure substantive democratic legitimacy. The indirect electoral mechanism shifts accountability from citizens to legislative institutions, strengthens legislative dominance within local political structures, and increases the potential for elite bargaining and transactional politics. The study further argues that the quality of representative institutions becomes the decisive factor in determining whether indirect elections can maintain democratic accountability and effective governance. Theoretical contributions of this study include the development of an interdisciplinary analytical framework linking procedural democracy, constitutional interpretation, and institutional accountability in decentralized governance systems. Practically, the study provides critical insights for policymakers regarding the constitutional and governance
##plugins.themes.academic_pro.article.details##
References
Aleksovska, M., Overman, S., & Schillemans, T. (2017). Accountability in public administration research : from conceptualizations and normative concerns to theories and empirical tests. In Handbook of Accountability Research: Politics, Law, Business, Work. (Number 2013, pp. 1-). https://doi.org/10.4337/9781803924137.00012
Amirullah, Haq, A., Sabir, M., Ni’ma, M., Yahya, & Rahmat. (2026). Legal Politics of Decentralization and the Challenges of Local Democracy in Indonesia. Masterpiece Journal Society Service Insight, 2(1), 96–103. https://doi.org/10.65246/mjssi.v21.498
Arifin, F., Maarif, I., Bunyamin, Bahri, R. A., & Murbani, A. W. (2025). Reforming Indonesia’s Electoral System: Legal and Policy Considerations. Jambe Law Journal, 8(1), 61–99. https://doi.org/10.22437/jlj.8.1.61-99
Haggart, B., & Keller, C. I. (2021). Democratic legitimacy in global platform governance. Telecommunications Policy, 45(6), 102152. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.telpol.2021.102152
Hakim, M. Z., Moenta, A. P., Jamal, F., Ilmar, A., Ilyas, A., & Irwansyah. (2024). Rise and Fall of Democracy in Regional Government: From Assignment to Election. Yuridika, 39(3), 329–352. https://doi.org/10.20473/ydk.v39i3.59821
Kodiyat, B. A., Siagian, A. H., & Andryan. (2025). The Effect of Centralistic Political Party Policies in Selection Of Regional Heads in Medan City. Indonesian Journal of Education, Social Sciences and Research (IJSSR), 5(1), 59–70. https://doi.org/10.30596/jcositte.v1i1.xxxx
Lina Sinaulan, R., Saputra, R., & Sugeng Sugeng. (2025). The Constitutional Court as a Positive Legislative through the Living Constitution Approach. International Journal of Law and Society, 2(4), 70–84. https://doi.org/10.62951/ijls.v2i4.780
Masnun, Muh. Ali, Prasetio, Dicky Eko, M. (2025). Reconstruction of the Normative Legal Research Paradigm in Responding to Global Challenges: An Epistemological Analysis. Novum: Jurnal Hukum, 12(3), 372–384. https://doi.org/10.2674/novum.v12i03.74364
Mawardi, Hertanto, Y., Patawari, Luturmas, J., & Jaya, K. (2026). Regional Head Elections by the People’s Representative Council: A Critical Analysis of Constitutionality and Democratic Backsliding. International Journal Of Humanities Education And Social Sciences (IJHESS), 5(5), 2331–2341. https://doi.org/10.55227/ijhess.v5i5.2149
Minta, M. D. (2018). Gender, race, ethnicity, and political representation in the united states. Politics and Gender, 8(4), 541–547. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1743923X12000578
Młynarska-Sobaczewska, A., & Zaleśny, J. (2024). Public accountability and constitutional law. In Public Accountability and Constitutional Law. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003493419
Mr. Juned Ansari. (2019). Constitutional Law: Principles and Interpretations. In Constitutional Law: Principles and Interpretations (p. 197). https://doi.org/10.25215/9189764811
Radtke, J., & Renn, O. (2024). Participation in Energy Transitions: A Comparison of Policy Styles. Energy Research and Social Science, 118(October). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2024.103743
Rahmah Hanifa, M., Dwi Wahyunengseh, R., Suharto, D. G., & Gunawan Suharto, D. (2026). Beyond Compliance: A Systematic Review of Ethics, Accountability, And Transparency in Indonesian Governance. Policy & Governance Review, 10(1), 85. https://doi.org/10.30589/pgr.v10i1.1361
Salsabila, R., Pratama, J. A., & Astuti, C. D. (2026). Judicial Reasoning and the Interpretation of Constitutional Rights in Contemporary Constitutional Review Cases. Qriset Indonesia Journal of Law Journal, 1(1), 28–38.
Saragih, G. M., Putra, R. K., Ishwara, A. S. S., Nugroho, A. W., & Ivory, J. (2025). Comparison of the Principle of Meaningful Participation in the Process of Law Formation in Indonesia, Switzerland, and Sweden. Justisi, 11(3), 889–908. https://doi.org/10.33506/js.v11i3.4346
Simanungkalit, D., & Vanny Vanny. (2025). Misreading the Court Decision: Reflecting on Constitutional Interpretation In Nusantara Capital Law Formation. Jurnal Ius Constituendum, 10(3), 432–452. https://doi.org/10.26623/jic.v10i3.12531
Şimşek, C., Limão, J., Campos, I., Fuchs, D., & Schlipphak, B. (2025). Recent insights on direct democracy: Arguments, drivers, effects and conditions. Open Research Europe, 5, 1–20. https://doi.org/10.12688/openreseurope.20444.1
Sugirman, A., Amir, I., Sutrisno, A., Fitryantica, A., & Bone, S. (2025). Balancing Individual Political Rights and Institutional Integrity in an Islamic Constitutional Perspective on Party Switching in Indonesia. El-Mashlahah, 15(2), 369–392. https://doi.org/10.23971/el-mashlahah.v15i2.9995
Sutrisno, H., Mendes, C., & Gomez, R. (2025). Legal Frameworks for Smart City Governance : Balancing Technological Innovation and Citizen Privacy in Jakarta. Rechtsnormen Journal of Law, 3(6), 324–336. https://staff.universitaspahlawan.ac.id/upload/publikasi/825-lampiran.pdf
Walangitan, S., Lubis, I., & Oktama, Y. (2025). Juridical Normative Implications of Constitutional Court Decision 135 / PUU XXII 2024 on Elections. Kajian Ilmiah Hukum Dan Kenegaraan (KIHAN), 4(2), 145–156. https://doi.org/10.35912/kihan.v4i2.6232
Wycichowski-Kuchta, G. (2025). Argumentation and Discourse of Polish Constitutional Tribunal Case-Law on Reprivatisation of Warsaw Real-Estate. International Journal for the Semiotics of Law, 38(3), 1093–1114. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11196-024-10240-1
Yan, Y., & Ramesh, M. (2026). Accountability for policy decisions: addressing gaps in theory and practice. Policy Sciences, 59, 3–21. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11077-026-09601-3