Young Voters want Corruption-Free Leader

Almost 60 percent of voters in the 2024 general elections will be aged 17-39 years. This demographic wants an honest leader who is free of corruption.

KOMPAS/AMANDA PUTRI

A young voter conducts an election simulation at the University of Indonesia library yard, Depok, Sunday (4/12/2016) in a series of activities called Rock The Vote Indonesia with the theme “Gender Aware Young Voters”. Young voters are not only decisive in choosing a good leader, but will also become future leaders.

JAKARTA, KOMPAS – Young voters aged 17-39 years hope that the leader elected in 2024 will be a humble populist who possesses and a clean, corruption-free track record. Youths are hoping that an honest, corruption-free leader would help them realize their hopes by creating more jobs to increase welfare.

The survey, “Young Voters and the 2024 General Elections: Post-pandemic Sociopolitical Dynamics and Preferences”, conducted from 8-13 Aug. 2022 by the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), Jakarta, showed that young people preferred honest and corruption-free (34.8%) leaders in 2024. Other respondents preferred humble and pro-people leaders (15.9%), firm and authoritative leaders (12.4%), achievers and well-performing leaders (11.6%) and leaders with prior leadership experience (10.1%).

Also read:

> Young People Want Concrete Action from Political Parties

> Relevant Political Parties

The survey, which polled 1,200 respondents in 34 provinces and had a margin of error of +/-2.84 percent, asked respondents which of the 14 figures they would vote for president if the election were held today. The survey results showed that 25.9 percent of respondents would elect Ganjar Pranowo, followed by Prabowo Subianto (19.2%), Anies Baswedan (18.1%), Ridwan Kamil (16.2%) and Sandiaga Uno (4.3%).

In a simulation for respondents involving just three names, Ganjar’s electability reached 33.3 percent, followed by Anies (27.5%), and then Prabowo (25.7%). However, simulations involving just two out of these three names produced an electability of 47.8 percent for Anies and 43.9 percent for Ganjar. Meanwhile, Ganjar would win with 47.2 percent against Prabowo with 45 percent, and Anies would win with 48.6 percent against Prabowo with 42.8 percent.

Looking at the future

While presenting the survey results on Monday (26/9/2022), CSIS political and social change researcher Arya Fernandes explained that the survey polled young voters aged 17-39 years, as they would make up almost 60 percent of the voting public in the 2024 election.

According to him, a leader with a clean and corruption-free track record cannot be separated from how voters saw the future, especially with regard to issues of health, employment and the economy, all of which were determined by honest and clean leaders. They hoped that leaders with integrity could help make their dreams a reality, from more jobs to improved welfare.

They think that corruption in Indonesia is so concerning that we need a clean and honest leader.

“Moreover, young people also care about corruption eradication. There are situations in which they have become concerned about the rampant corruption happening these days. They think that corruption in Indonesia is so concerning that we need a clean and honest leader,” said Arya.

As for the survey results, he continued, political parties and party executives should use the existing data as a basis for making relevant policies.

ARSIP CSIS

Arya Fernandes

Not set

Political parties are still communicating with each other to form electoral alliances ahead of the 2024 general election. As many as 76.9 percent of respondents in a Kompas poll, conducted on 6-9 Sept. 2022, are of the view that the formation of alliances are directly related to the interests of party executives.

Indonesian Political Parameters executive director Adi Prayitno observed that alliances were formed mainly to reflect the interests of party executives and did not reflect the people’s needs. Their general goal was to put forward their party chairpersons to create a coattail effect. Meanwhile, the electoral constituencies merely went along with what the party executives had decided.

According to Adi, the alliances that have been established, namely the Gerindra Party-National Awakening Party (PKB) alliance and the United Indonesia Coalition (KIB), consisting of the Golkar Party, the National Mandate Party (PAN) and the United Development Party (PPP), were not fixed.

Also read:

> Changing Party Coalition Trends

> Coalition Models for 2024

For one, PKB chairman Muhaimin Iskandar has opened the possibility of becoming the running mate of Puan Maharani (Kompas, 26/9), the executive chairwoman of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), even though the PKB had formed an alliance with Gerindra.

On meeting at the Senayan legislative complex in Jakarta, Gerindra chairman Prabowo Subianto said it was Muhaimin’s right to contest the election as Puan’s running mate. However, he pointed out that because the PKB had formed an alliance with Gerindra, the final presidential candidate pair must have his approval. “This will continue to develop. We will follow up and discuss it with him [Muhaimin],” said Prabowo.

Gerindra deputy chair Habiburokhman added that the party respected Muhaimin’s desire to be Puan’s running mate. He had also heard that Muhaimin would first seek Prabowo’s permission if he decided to contest the election as Puan’s vice presidential candidate.

“That is the appropriate etiquette, and we must be an example of this,” said Habiburokhman.

That is the appropriate etiquette, and we must be an example of this.

Meanwhile, PAN deputy chairman Viva Yoga Mauladi emphasized that the KIB had not been formed based on its executives’ interests, but on the basis of the aspirations of the parties’ regional administrators and cadres. This was the same with PAN, which always accommodated its members’ aspirations through a process that ran from the district to the municipal, province and central levels.

Viva underlined that the KIB was built on a strong and solid foundation. In fact, the KIB had held meetings at the district/municipal levels. This reflected the KIB’s seriousness in building an alliance for the 2024 presidential election. There were even talks that the alliance would be maintained until the simultaneous regional elections in November that year.

Viva also expressed his belief that the alliance would not change. Any changes in its dynamics going forward would involve the addition of new members.

PPP executive board chairman Achmad Baidowi concurred with Viva, saying that the KIB was a permanent alliance.

This article was translated by Kesya Adhalia.