POLITICAL PREFERENCES BATAK ETHNIC HKBP CHURCH PANGKALPINANG IN ELECTIONS OF DPRD BANGKA BELITUNG PROVINCE ON 2019

Abstract

The Batak ethnic is the native of North Sumatra Province, which still upholding its traditions and customs, seen from wedding ceremonies, death ceremonies, traditional dances, folk songs, dialects, regional languages, traditional foods and various other traditions. The Batak ethnic is one of the ethnic groups in Indonesia that is genealogical-patrilineal, drawing a lineage from the male or the father's side marked by the giving of the family name. The purpose of this study is to describe the political preferences of the Batak ethnic group in the HKBP Church in Pangkal Pinang City in the 2019 Bangka Belitung Islands Province Regional People's Representative Council (DPRD) elections and describe the support polarization of church congregation. This study uses the theory of Ferdinand Tonnies about the Community (Gemeinschaft) and Society (Gesellschaft). This theory explains that basically, community groups consist of community and society. Society has Intimate, Private and Exclusive characteristics that influence political preferences and form support polarization. This research uses a descriptive qualitative approach. The primary data were obtained from interviews with 20 informants consisting of members of the HKBP Church in Pangkalpinang City, including representatives from ladies, gentlemen, young people and Regional People's Representative Council (DPRD) candidates from the Batak descent who embraced Christianity. The results of this study explain the Batak Ethnic political preferences in the 2019 Bangka Belitung Islands Province Regional People's Representative Council (DPRD) election study in the HKBP Church Congregation in Pangkalpinang City influenced by several things, namely: ethnicity, clan, religion, regional origin and human resources. From the perspective of the Community (Gemeinschaft) and Society (Gesellschaft), support polarization of the Batak ethnic (church congregation) is divided into three forms. The three forms are choosing ethnic Batak candidates who embrace Christianity, choosing non-Batak candidates who embrace Christianity and choosing non-Batak and non-Christian candidates.