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ne may argue that incumbent Joko “Jokowi” Widodo and rival Prabowo Subianto are as different as night and day, but there is no doubt that they share at least one similarity: Both are trying to win the hearts and minds of the young voters, aka millennials, in the 2019 presidential election.

The millennial generation — roughly defined as those born between 1980 and 2000 — is a strategic section no political parties dare overlook since the group is considered one of the largest voting blocs, making up as much as 40 percent of the electorate next year.

Months into the presidential election campaign, the strategies of the Jokowi-Ma’ruf Amin and Prabowo-Sandiaga Uno tickets to attract millennial votes have begun to take shape, with both camps aiming to cater to the youngsters’ entrepreneurial ambition.

Jokowi’s campaign team deputy chairman Abdul Kadir Karding said the presidential candidate aimed to promote policies that would make it easier for young people to develop their talents, including in entrepreneurship and creative industry.

“In the future, we also have to ensure more affordable or even free internet access for [young people],” Karding said, “They must be able to foster their creativity and productivity, while the government provides an environment that enables them to do so.”

For instance, young entrepreneurs should be provided with access to capital and opportunities to expand collaboration, such as through training programs, which could help their business to expand and subsequently provide better employment opportunities for others, he said.

Karding also cited the Jokowi administration’s vision about the need to improve education and digital literacy to capture opportunities presented by the Fourth Industrial Revolution, also known as Industry 4.0, to nurture creative and innovative young talents. “[Jokowi and Ma’ruf] have a vision for the future of millennials in their policies, including in the development of digital infrastructure in the country’s regions,” said Karding, who is also the secretary-general of the National Awakening Party (PKB).

During his presidency, Jokowi has made the digital economy and technology part of his policy, as he encourages more homegrown startups to grow with visions of improving the competitiveness of Indonesian products in the global market.

Analysts, however, have pointed out that Ma’ruf, a 75-year-old Muslim cleric running with Jokowi in the latter’s reelection bid, would have a hard time appealing to young voters because of his age and conservative bent.

In the opposition camp, many regard Sandiaga as the figure linked with millennials — being a young businessman who rose to political stardom — rather than Prabowo, a 66-year-old retired general associated with the New Order era.

Prabowo and Sandiaga have apparently aimed higher in targeting support from youngsters, with campaign team spokesperson Gamal Albinsaid saying that the candidate pair wanted millennials to take up ministerial seats should they get elected into office. “We will end the long history of gerontocracy in the country,” Gamal said, “It’s our commitment that Indonesian millennials will no longer be the object of politics, but they will be given the stage to promote their ideas and be involved in national development.”

Sandiaga revealed recently that he aimed to fill at least three positions in his Cabinet — youth and sports minister; research, technology and higher education minister; and communications and information minister — with millennial figures.

Gamal went on to cite a 2017 survey by the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), which revealed that unemployment ranked first among the concerns of young people between the ages of 17 and 29, with 25.5 percent of 600 respondents saying so.

According to Statistics Indonesia (BPS) data, unemployment among people aged 20 to 24 last year reached 16.62 percent, while it was 6.67 percent among those aged 25 to 29, higher than the national average of 5.5 percent.

“We aim to create more work programs that can address the unemployment problem […] we will also develop entrepreneurship through the OK OCE program and other programs in digital, technology and startup development,” Gamal said, referring to Sandiaga’s flagship entrepreneurship program.

Political observer Arie Sujito of Gadjah Mada University said it was true that millennials, tech-savvy as they are, could be attracted to campaigns promoting innovation and creativity, however, presidential candidate pairs must also ensure they spread positive messages especially on social media, .

“The most important thing is that candidates refrain from spreading negative messages, such as hate speech or fake news, when they criticize [their rivals] because young people are now critical,” Arie told The Jakarta Post.