THE IMPACT OF INDONESIA'S VILLAGE FUND (DANA DESA) TOWARDS VILLAGE HEAD ELECTIONS: EVIDENCE FROM BANJAR REGENCY

Khairullah Anshari (Ritsumeikan University) and Marthalina (Institute Governance of Home Affairs)

Indonesia has stipulated 2014 Village Law as a grand effort for boosting rural development. It is also known as the next government decentralization policy to villages. Two important points of 2014 Village Law: the first is the establishment of Dana Desa or the village fund from central government that creates progressive village budget increase with the mechanism of cash-for-work at the community level. The second is the village head serves for one term of six years and can be elected three times, whereas the previous regulation allowed for only two terms. This article tested whether the presence of the village fund motivate resident to compete in the village head election. The evidence used was from the survey that follows by village heads candidates of the 2016 simultaneous village heads elections in Banjar Regency, South Kalimantan Province. Some key findings are marked. First, more educated people participated in the village head election even the minimum standard of education is only junior high school. Second, the highest motivation to be village head candidates is the budget increase because of the village fund. Third, two factors that significantly determine the votes is the motivation to be the village head and the experience ever to be village head. This article suggests that the regency government as the superior of the village government should train the elected village heads immediately to maintain the performance of the village government.

POWERPOINT PRESENTATION