Badung KPU and Scouts Declare Commitment to Smart Voters

The General Election Commission (KPU) of Badung Regency, Bali, has officially partnered with the Badung Regency Scout Branch (Kwarcab) to cultivate a politically conscious young generation. This collaboration was realised through the Youth Democracy Camp held at Pondok Jaka, Sangeh Village, on Saturday (20/6). The event, scheduled to run until Sunday (21/6), carried the theme ‘Badung Scouts with Character: Towards a Democratic, Smart, and High-Integrity Young Generation’. Sixty senior Scout members from across Badung Regency attended as participants. The event was also attended by the Chair of the Bali Provincial KPU, I Dewa Agung Gede Lidartawan, commissioners from the Badung KPU, administrators of the Badung Kwarcab, and representatives from the Badung Regency Education, Youth, and Sports Office.

Badung KPU Chair I Gusti Ketut Gede Yusa Arsana Putra asserted that the Scout movement is an ideal laboratory for generating innovations and new ideas related to elections. ‘Scouting is a place for young people to create, and from there, new breakthroughs regarding elections can emerge. That is why we initiated this Youth Democracy Camp, to accommodate that potential,’ said Yusa Arsana Putra during the opening ceremony. Similar appreciation was expressed by Bali Provincial KPU Chair I Dewa Agung Gede Lidartawan, who recalled the essence of the word ‘pandu’ (guide) in the three-stanza national anthem ‘Indonesia Raya’ as a vital pillar of the nation. ‘Scouting teaches independence, discipline, and integrity. I am confident that these Scouts, equipped with this scouting education, are capable of safeguarding democracy in the future, whether as election organisers or as national leaders,’ said Lidartawan.

Meanwhile, Badung Regency Kwarcab Chair I Ketut Suiasa assessed this collaboration as a crucial political education medium for its members. According to the former Badung Deputy Regent, early political education greatly determines the future quality of Indonesian democracy. ‘By 2029, these young people, who are currently around 16 to 17 years old, will become first-time voters and political actors. They need political knowledge and in-depth understanding to become smart voters, because a voter who does not understand the meaning of democracy is essentially an empty voter,’ explained Suiasa. He also warned of the negative impact if the young generation becomes indifferent to the nation’s political direction. ‘If the young generation is apathetic, sceptical, and allergic to their democratic rights, we have failed as a nation. All policies and life structures, including the price of basic necessities, are born from political decisions,’ he stressed. As the culmination of the event, the Badung Regency KPU and Badung Kwarcab officially signed a Cooperation Agreement (PKS) and declared a joint commitment titled ‘Scouts as Pioneers of Smart Voters’. This step also affirmed the Scouts’ active role in the Nayakottama Prayojana Pioneer Scout Service Unit, marked by the symbolic pinning of the ‘Smart Voter’ badge. Over two days, the Youth Democracy Camp featured various interactive activities, ranging from troop assemblies and election-themed chants to a pioneering competition for building a Polling Station (TPS) model, and a casual discussion session called ‘Ngerujak Pedas’ (Chatting to Invite Smart Voters). Through this approach closely tied to Scout culture, democratic values are expected to take root early among the youth in Badung.