The ELECTION SUPERVISORY AGENCY (BAWASLU) AND INTEGRITY OF LOCAL DEMOCRACY: A CASE STUDY OF 2019 GENERAL ELECTION IN NORTH JAKARTA

Abstract

This research aims to examine  institutional integrity of Election Supervisory Board (Bawaslu) in addressing electoral violations during 2019 General Election in North Jakarta. The study applies a library research method with a qualitative approach, using deductive and inductive analysis of various literature sources, official Bawaslu documents, and previous research findings. The results indicate that North Jakarta recorded the highest number of election violations in the DKI Jakarta region, dominated by vote buying, off-schedule campaigns, and the involvement of civil servants. These findings reflect a weak institutional integrity within Bawaslu, characterized by the lack of assertiveness in law enforcement, a procedural and formalistic culture, and limited transparency and public participation. Bawaslu is assessed to be suboptimal in carrying out its substantive supervisory role and is still facing challenges from structural, social, and political dimensions. The study concludes that strengthening institutional integrity requires improving capacity of election supervisors, ethical training, legal protection for whistleblowers, and collaborative engagement with public as co-supervisors.