TKN: Young People Have The Right To Be Leaders Before The Age Of 40 Years

Deputy Chairperson Of The National Campaign Team (TKN) Of The Advanced Indonesia Coalition (KIM) Bahlil Lahadalia (center)

JAKARTA - Deputy Chairperson of the National Campaign Team (TKN) of the Advanced Indonesia Coalition (KIM), Bahlil Lahadalia, considers that the people of the young group have the right to become leaders before reaching the age of 40 years. He stated the importance of providing opportunities for the younger generation to be involved in national leadership.

"Young friends don't allow space for the age of 40 years and under to be monopolized by people or generations like me, who are over 40 years old," Bahlil said when attending the declaration of support for State Successors volunteers for Prabowo-Gibran at Djakarta Theater, Jakarta, Saturday, October 28.

Bahlil also referred to the history of young Indonesian leaders such as Sutan Sjahrir, who became the Prime Minister of Indonesia at the age of 36. He argues that the democratic space must be open to the younger generation to participate in leadership.

"We think about the principles of democracy, but at other times we also close democratic spaces for young people to take part in national leadership," he said.

In the declaration of support for the "National Successor" volunteers for presidential and vice presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto-Gibran Rajabuming Raka, Chairman of TKN KIM, Rosan Roeslani, emphasized that the candidate pair can absorb aspirations from various age groups, including the younger generation.

"All of his aspirations can be absorbed, because if young people talk to young people, it must be more connected," said Rosan.

Previously, Prabowo had announced Gibran, the eldest son of President Joko Widodo, as a vice presidential candidate. Gibran, who was born in 1987, had 36 years of age when he was announced as a vice presidential candidate.

Currently, the requirements for general elections are regulated by Law Number 7 of 2017 concerning General Elections, which requires pairs of presidential and vice presidential candidates to have at least 115 seats in the DPR RI or a legal vote acquisition of at least 34,992,703 votes from political parties or coalitions of political parties participating in the election.