Young Citizens' Association Hopes DPD Becomes Bridge for Inclusive Policies

Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Young Citizens’ Association hopes that the Regional Representative Council (DPD) can become a bridge for the emergence of inclusive policies for the interests of local communities, especially the younger generation.

“Hopefully, the DPD will no longer be viewed as a secondary institution, but rather as a strategic partner for youth organisations and communities to articulate the interests of the regions that have long been neglected,” said representative of the Young Citizens’ Association, Akbar Restu Fauzi, during a media discussion held by the Indonesian Parliamentary Center (IPC), the Election and Democracy Syndicate (SPD), and the Young Citizens’ Association, quoted in Jakarta on Thursday.

It is known that inclusive policies are those formulated by considering the needs and involvement of all layers of society without differentiating based on social, economic, age, or regional backgrounds. Thus, the benefits of those policies can be felt more evenly by all elements of society.

In response to these hopes, DPD RI member Abdul Kholik conveyed the unique position of the DPD in the state structure. The DPD RI, he said, has a crucial role as a balancer of power between the central government and party political representatives in absorbing regional issues.

“As a territorial representative, the DPD stands outside partisan party interests, thus able to ensure that development justice and pure voices from the remotest areas remain a priority in national policies,” he said.

Furthermore, on the same occasion, the Head of the Protocol, Public Relations, and Media Bureau of the DPD RI Secretariat, Mahyu Darma, appreciated the initiative and active movement of youth groups in overseeing regional issues.

“We very much welcome the energy from today’s youth movement. The DPD sees youth not merely as objects, but as strategic partners who can potentially collaborate intensively to strengthen the DPD’s role in articulating regional interests at the national level through more modern and inclusive communication channels,” he said.

It is known that the Indonesian Parliamentary Center (IPC), the Election and Democracy Syndicate (SPD), and Young Citizens are a coalition of civil society organisations focused on strengthening democracy, parliamentary transparency, and youth participation in Indonesia.