Young Candidates See Their Time Come

· 5 minutes read

Millennial candidates in the upcoming general election have different ways to win the heart of the people. Some teach how to breed goats, some stage musical performances while others unveil their love stories in social media.

In August 2018, the Facebook account of the Indonesian Solidarity Party (PSI) uploaded a testimonial video about the decision of some of the party’s young members to become legislative candidates.

Febri Wahyuni Sabran, 25, said in the video that one of the biggest sacrifices she made to become a legislative candidate was breaking up with her boyfriend, who was a member of another political party.

Her confession, which went viral on social media, was also broadcast on television and uploaded on online news portals. The House of Representatives (SPDR) candidate for West Sumatra electoral district II said the video about her broken relationship with her boyfriend made her even more popular.

"My followers on Instagram reached 11,000, rising by 4,000 from 7,000 previously," Febri said. For a legislative candidate, popularity is very important, because it is one of three aspects of electoral capital, in addition to electability and acceptability.

Dara, who obtained a bachelor’s degree in economics in November last year, does not have the political capital of senior politicians, as she is a newcomer in politics and not from a family of "political dynasties". She doesn\'t have much money either. The only thing she has is willingness, a network of friends, a political vision and social media.

Therefore, when her love story went viral on social media, she used the moment to introduce herself and her vision.

Punk and PPP

Alga Indria has a different way to attract voters. The member of rock band Panas Dalam (Heat Inside) is determined to maintain his identity as a punk boy with his Mohawk hair style – both sides of his head are shaven, leaving a strip of noticeably longer hair in the center.

Every day he wears a black shirt combined with jeans and black boots. With the image of a punk kid, he was listed as a candidate for the Bandung City Legislative Council (DPRD) from the Islam-based United Development Party (PPP).

On his campaign poster, he appears with Mohawk hair combined with a white shirt, blue jeans and white-green scarf around his neck, which in Indonesia is a symbol of religiosity. He is probably the only candidate combining punk and religious symbols.

On Wednesday night earlier this month, Alga held a small concert on the terrace of a cafe on Jl. Terusan Jakarta in Bandung City. He sang and engaged with the audience for 1.5 hours. The boisterous little concert was broadcast live via Instagram and Youtube.

Alga stages a musical performance every Wednesday in some subdistrict to attract young voters.

Meanwhile, in Serang, Banten, Nur Agis Aulia, 29, a DPRD candidate for Serang city from the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), chose to interact directly with his constituents. On a Friday in early February, he held a meeting with 20 middle-aged women. "I am Agis. My flagship program is to create employment through entrepreneurship. I am a goat farmer," he told the guests, laughing.

Agis then explained a number of other programs, but the story about entrepreneurship that day looked more attractive to the women. "Please, if anyone wants to ask anything. Maybe someone wants to increase their income or wants to know why goats can mate up to 21 times a day? " the young entrepreneur said.

In Banyuwangi, Ricco Antar Budaya, 28, a DPRD candidates for Banyuwangi regency from the Democratic Party, tried to attract votes from former friends from elementary, middle and high school and his friends in the basketball community to the youth community. His twin, Ricci Antar Bangsa, who is also a DPRD candidate for Banyuwangi regency, chose to meet with mothers in a number of villages.

A similar strategy was pursued by Tsamara and Lestari Cinta Zanidya, 22, or Cinta, two candidates for the House from the PSI. Every time Cinta goes to the grass roots, she highlights issues related to services provided by the Health Care and Social Security Agency (BPJS Kesehatan) and corruption.

From the grassroots meetings, Cinta understands the political reality in Indonesia, which is still overshadowed by money politics. "When meeting with the grass roots, they often ask, \'[Did you] bring something or not?\' It seems that it is normal for candidates to function as an ATM. I replied, \'I\'m still a student, I don\'t have any money. But I have good intentions’,” she added.

Regardless of the communication strategy they choose, most young candidates make the most of their youth to lure voters, as reflected in the political slogans of the millennial candidates, such as "Great Youth", "Working Young People", "Young, Open, Progressive", "Young, Brave and Make Differences", "Millennial Candidates Need Support", and “Millennial Candidates: Work ... Work ... Coffee ". The photos they post are generally fresh, smiling and stylish. Some candidates even appear with makeup like K-Pop stars.

Their image stands in stark contrast to candidates from the older generation, who tend to appear uniform, wearing Moslem hats and asking for blessings from the people.

The pop culture shown by the young candidates with a unique political communication strategy through social media or face-to-face should give the upcoming election some color.

This phenomenon, according to Idi Subandy, a communication expert who taught at Pasundan University and Brawijaya University, showed how politicians tried to become popular using populist issue or religious messages through various media.

The Indonesian political landscape is increasingly adopting the language of popular culture. "Things that are serious are considered unattractive. Popularity is what generates interest. So, don\'t be surprised if we see politicians with a fresh look and style. "In fact, the President [feels compelled to] use a large motorcycle to attract public attention," said Idi. (E17/TAM/BAY/ELN /LOK/GER/BSW)

Editor:

kompascetak