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span class="inline inline-left">Forever young: In this file photo, taken in August 2010, young supporters of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) stage a rally in Semarang, Central Java, demanding the government’s commitment to rooting out corruption. JP/SuherdjokoAfter serving as chairman of the politically wired Association of Islamic Students (HMI) last year, Arip Mustopha had to think twice before jumping into a career of full-time politician. His sole reason was straightforward: “financially unfit”.

“I’m just being realistic,” Arip, who held the prestigious job for two years, said recently.

“Today, many political parties prefer to open their doors to family members of rich businessmen or high-ranking officials than give a slot to former student activists who have spent years learning the tricks but unfortunately have no financial back up.”

Arip is now occupied with developing a new company and a research institute that he set up with former HMI colleagues, in the hope of raising sufficient funds to finance his political aspirations.

“If the business is promising, I hope I to return to politics five years from now,” he said, smiling.

Arip is just one among many examples of how political parties have become more pragmatic in recent years in coping with the high cost of democracy, where financial considerations regularly outstrip quality in the recruitment system.

Traditionally, many top politicians are alumni of major student and youth organizations, including the HMI, university student boards, the Association of Muhammadiyah Students (IMM), the National Student Movement (GMNI), the Association of Indonesian Muslim Students (PMII), the Alliance of Indonesian Muslim Students (KAMMI) and the National Committee of Youth (KNPI).

Political parties have a long cultural or historical relationship with these organizations, whose alumni are mostly endowed not only with networks but also with all the political tricks that may prepare them well should they take the career path of a politician.

Party members taking the activist route have often been guaranteed a top post in a party, and nomination as legislators.

But as the rules of the game change and more emphasis is put on financial capability, many talented activists have been forced to temporarily step out of the game, and hope to return after raising enough capital for the party and for their upcoming election campaign.

IMM chairman Ton Abdillah Has said there was a growing trend among activists to quit politics after leaving the campus to strengthen financial resources before eventually joining a political party.

Besides the high political expenses, he also underlined the low level of transparency and opaque recruitment systems employed by parties.

Most activists would then prefer to remain independent, or join a party that leaves them with no financial burden.

“For example, I recently found out that, interestingly, many former IMM members in eastern Indonesia have joined the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), maybe because the party has introduced a recruitment system that is better and more intense than those of other parties,” said Ton.

Former HMI and KNPI activists usually choose to join Golkar, while those of GMNI and PMII join the camp of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) and the United Development Party (PPP) respectively.

Among top politicians taking the activist route are Golkar Party chief patron Akbar Tandjung and Democratic Party chairman Anas Urbaningrum. Akbar, former minister during Soeharto’s era and former House Speaker in 1999-2004, was HMI chairman between 1970 and 1974 while Anas held the position between 1997 and 1999.

PPP chairman Suryadharma Ali, who is also the religious affairs minister, served as PPMI chairman between 1985 and 1988. Senior PAN (National Mandate Party) politician and Law and Human Rights Minister Patrialis Akbar was also IMM and KNPI chairman during the 1980s.

But the decades of romance between activists and political parties seem to have faded in line with the increasing financial costs of becoming a politician.

Both Roy Suryo, the secretary of the Democratic Party’s membership division, and Yorrys Raweyay, a senior Golkar politician overseeing youth affairs confirmed the trend.

“Financial ability is only one thing. If cadres could give a certain added value to Golkar, the party would of course give them more opportunities to move forward,” Yorrys said.

While costs vary between parties, an individual can spent between Rp 100 million (US$11,100) and Rp 500 million to join a political party without having to spend any prior time as a party member, according to several legislators.

The costs exclude campaign spending, which can reach between Rp 100 million and Rp 17 billion.

Political analyst Cecep Hidayat of the University of Indonesia says the absence of a reward and punishment system in political parties has turned away many talented young activists from politics.

“How can we expect more and more people with integrity to join political parties if their internal system does not allow such a thing to happen?” he quipped.

But in some rare cases, money may not be the prime factor, particularly when a party needs an expert.

Fayakhun “Kun” Andriadi, 39, was always on hand when his father discussed politics with fellow party members at home. Thirty years later, Kun has continued the family’s tradition in politics by becoming a Golkar legislator.

Despite his family’s political influence and the fact that his late father Haditirto Djoyodirdjo was a top Golkar executive in the 1980s, Kun’s path to the job was not easy.

It took several years for Kun to be accepted on the party’s executive board as a member of its Information and Communication Body in 2002.

“While some other [young] colleagues entered Golkar, mainly through a family connection, I chose to rely on my expertise in information technology to make my way in,” said the father of three, now a member of the House of Representatives’ Commission I overseeing security, communication and foreign affairs.

Unlike Kun who inherited his father’s talent in politics, Dwi Rio Sambodo, 36, a Jakarta first-time councillor from the PDI-P, successfully established his political career from zero, mainly through his long-time involvement in student organizations prior to the reform movement in 1998.

As a GMNI activist, Rio eventually decided to join the party after completing his postgraduate studies at Jayabaya University, East Jakarta, in the early 2000s.

With his position as secretary of the party’s East Jakarta branch, Rio managed to secure the party’s nomination for Jakarta councillorship in the 2009 general election. Rio clinched the seat after securing more than 3,000 votes.

“I didn’t have much money to finance my election bid, which is why I relied heavily on the social networking that I had established throughout my time in politics and student organizations,” he said, adding that he only spent Rp 100 million to finance his campaign.