Between Empowerment and Power: The Rise of the Self-Supporting Church in Western Flores, Eastern Indonesia (1) (Essay‪)‬

Conflicts in Democratizing Indonesia Accusations of "money politics" have been increasing steadily in Indonesia since the end of the New Order in 1998 and the introduction of regional autonomy in 2001 (Hadiz 2005). This process of decentralization, while allowing for greater decision-making power on political and fiscal matters at the local level, has also allowed for what many refer to as the "rise of little kings"--the excessive use of power by local political leaders, who did not consider themselves accountable to anyone, once the ties with the centre were loosened. However, the direct elections of district heads beginning in 2005 appear to be putting some checks on the unbridled power of local leaders, since local communities can now hold their leaders accountable by voting them out of office. But in the period leading up to these first local elections, after regional autonomy legislation was introduced, forces were at work to reshape local political power. It was during this early period of regional autonomy, that people in the district of Manggarai in western Flores, were disturbed at the alliances formed between the increasingly powerful local government and Catholic Church leaders.