BALI, KOMPAS — The political behavior and preferences of young voters will have a significant influence on the outcome of the 2024 General Election. The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) included efforts to approach young voters as one of the major topics of its Fifth Congress, alongside national ideology, regeneration and recommendations for the 2019-2024 administration.
“A huge number of the younger people will become voters in the 2024 election. The PDI-P needs to start thinking about how to encourage this generation to get to know more about politics and the party,” Fifth PDIP Congress steering committee chair Djarot Saiful Hidayat said in Bali on Wednesday (7/8/2019).
A Kompas R&D survey from Sept. 25 to Oct. 5 last year showed that a majority of PDI-P voters, or 57.6 percent, were aged 36-55 years old. Furthermore, 23.7 percent were aged above 55 and 16.1 percent were aged 22-35. Only 2.6 percent of PDIP voters were aged 17-21 years old.
Statistics Indonesia (BPS) data in 2018 showed that there were 85.7 million Indonesians aged 15-34, more than the 71.7 million Indonesians aged 35-54. Furthermore, there were 22.8 million Indonesians aged 10-14, almost twice the number of Indonesians aged 55-59 (12.3 million).
Head of the University of Indonesia’s Center of Political Studies, Aditya Perdana, said that young voters would determine the outcome of the next election. With respect to that, in order to achieve success in the 2024 election, the PDI-P should have effective strategies to attract young voters.
Leadership regeneration at regional elections, Aditya said, could be effective to attract young voters. This is because the youth tended to find candidates aged similar to them or at least care about issues relevant to them. “A mapping of voters in every region is necessary, followed by preparing potential cadres for future leaders. Preparations must begin now if the PDI-P wishes to be successful again in 2024,” Aditya explained.
Djarot said, in order to attract young voters, the PDI-P would develop a special app that would make it easier for the public, especially the younger generations, to register as party members and find information about the party’s history and ideology, President Soekarno and the track records of PDI-P lawmakers.
Regeneration
In the congress that will be opened this Thursday (8/8) and attended by President Joko Widodo and Gerindra Party chair Prabowo Subianto, Megawati Soekarnoputri will be re-appointed as chairwoman for the next five years.
PDI-P secretary-general Hasto Kristiyanto said the party recognized the inevitability of party regeneration. Regeneration would occur not only through the congress but also various other activities, such as a party school, education and the assignment of party officials in line with their skills and capabilities. “The PDI-P knows no shortcuts. Everyone goes through the process. Some are assigned in culture, politics or executive and ministerial positions. This is all well-prepared and involves certain steps,” he said.
In response to the rumors of the creation of a deputy chair position in the party’s incoming administration, and Megawati’s children Prananda Prabowo and Puan Maharani being groomed to replace her in the future, Hasto said that this would all be done through party mechanisms. He said that Prananda and Puan represented the wish of PDI-P members to place Soekarno, Megawati and their descendants in a special place.
Djarot said that regeneration would also be discussed in the congress, along with other matters, such as ideology and recommendations for the 2019-2024 administration. These various issues would be discussed in five commissions and two sub-commissions. The five commissions are the Ideology and Trisakti Commission (Commission I), Politics and Ideology Commission (Commission II), Culture Commission (Commission III), General Election Commission (Commission IV) and Party Governance Commission (Commission V). The two sub-commissions are on cadre and regional head regeneration.
The congress this year will be attended by 2,172 participants, comprising the chairs, secretaries and treasurers of the party’s regional and branch offices. The congress will also be attended by observers, most of whom are the party’s senior members and lawmakers. (REK/NIA/COK/AGE)