The Indonesian Solidarity Party (PSI) has one simple rule: If you are more than 45 years old, you cannot join the party.

Founded in 2014 by former television presenter Grace Natalie, PSI has an ambitious target: changing Indonesia’s political landscape by encouraging young men and women to play a more active role in politics.

On Tuesday at 10:10 a.m., the party officially registered at the General Elections Commission (KPU) to participate in the 2019 legislative election.

The number 10 has been carefully chosen to remind Indonesia’s youth of one of Sukarno’s speeches.

“We are inspired by Sukarno who said: ‘Give me 1,000 old men, I will move the mountain. Give me 10 young men and I will shake the world’,” said Grace, who is now PSI’s chairwoman.

She said she was optimistic that millennials would vote for them in the 2019 election.

The party aspires to refresh Indonesian politics by setting the stage for young people to get involved in politics, thus cutting off the chain of politicians affiliated with the New Order regime.

To join the party, a prospective members must be under the age of 45 and they should have no prior political affiliation.

It also aims to cure the existing problem most political parties have: low level of public trust.

Grace said PSI had built a system that ensured every process in the party is transparent and accountable, especially the recruitment and selection of candidates.

For example, those wanting to be the party’s legislative candidates will be screened and selected by an independent panel before they can run for any election.

Grace said the selection process would be made transparent and everyone could watch the process through the party’s social media channels. “In order to have a good output […] and in order for politics to return to its noble function, we need to fix the input.”

She added the party would also help its legislative candidates raise funds to finance their campaigns. The emergence of PSI is a new phenomenon in Indonesian politics. Unlike parties that have been filled with old politicians and business tycoons, PSI is led by young intellectuals, artists and sportsmen who have no experience in politics.

Tuesday’s registration was attended by Giring Ganesha, a member of the Nidji Group Band.

Giring has planned to run in the legislative election through PSI. “I feel we are just like young people who hang out together and now want to make a change for this nation.”

Saiful Munjani Research and Consulting (SMRC) analyst Sirajuddin Abbas said PSI could break the dominance of old parties because it could woo more young voters whose number would dominate the 2019 election.

Sirajuddin said in 2019 — when the legislative and presidential elections would be held — of the majority of voters, around 55 percent, would be those born after the 1980s.

He referred to these individuals who have little to no experience of the New Order regime, but are politically aware because they have greater access to social media. “These young voters have access to education, mostly live in the city, and they are critical and aware of politics,” Sirajuddin said.

He also said PSI’s commitment to pluralism and anti-corruption would likely be favored by young voters who in general have low trust in political parties. “I think its campaign would be effective [in wooing young voters].”

In 2019, the number of aged voters who are normally loyal to a specific party would be around 11 percent, Sirajuddin said. “Young voters’ decisions would not likely be influenced by old voters. They will not be loyal to a specific party that would not be relevant to them. They are highly critical.”

Popular

To my horror, it’s just a movie!

RI, Australia strengthen partnership on taxing crypto assets

Pentagon chief congratulates Prabowo on being elected President