The General Election Commission (KPU) noted that 52% of the total votes in the upcoming election were youth votes. However, youth representatives in the 2019–2024 DPR are only 10% of the total DPR members (575). The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) report on youth trust in democratic institutions has decreased, from 68.5% (2018) to 63.8% (2022).
“Things like this should be balanced with the number of young people who become legislative candidates." However, what is happening is that participation is systemically exclusive," said Wasisto Raharjo Jati, BRIN Political Scientist, in the discussion "Youth Participation in Indonesian Formal Politics" at Erasmus Huis, Jakarta (20/09).
Wasisto explained that it was necessary to differentiate between large youth clusters based on economic and educational privilege. Because, according to him, these two things determine youth participation in formal politics. Parties should have political will because participation is party-based.
"The function of meritocracy in the party must be carried out, because that is what causes participation to be inegalitarian," he explained.
Wise Voting CO-Initiator, Abigail Limuria, believes that youth apathy towards electoral politics occurs because there is a gap in knowledge of information. Youth actually care about public issues, but many are hurt because politics cannot provide solutions or change them.
"So it is necessary to present information easily, with a platform that is easy to navigate, all gathered on one website. And the more people are exposed to it, the more people realize that if they want to solve a particular public problem, they can participate with a party that supports that issue. "Everything is complete on the website," said Abigail, CO-Initiator of Wise Choices.
Labor Party Youth Legislative Candidate, Elza Yulianti, said that being actively involved in electoral politics is an effective vehicle for fighting for youth issues. He admitted that many laws were passed without democratic space for the public. Elza referred to the ratification of the Corruption Eradication Commission Law, the revision of the Criminal Code, the revision of the Mineral and Coal Law, the revision of the Constitutional Court Law, and the Omnibus Law on Job Creation. According to him, therefore, there must be a party that is born from a movement that is close to popular issues.
"If we are passive and not aware of politics, we will not change," he said. []
AJID FUAD MUZAKI
