The Merah Putih Village/Sub-district Cooperative (KDMP) program is currently under intense scrutiny. Lokataru Foundation assesses that the project, which targets the establishment of 80,000 units across Indonesia, risks threatening democratic pillars and civil liberties. This concern arises alongside the significant active involvement of the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) in the development and management process of the program.
Executive Director of Lokataru Foundation, Delpedro Marhaen, explained that military involvement in this populist economic program triggers a risk of abuse of power. Based on in-depth research conducted by his organization, there are fears that the massive expansion of the KDMP will not only target the micro-economic sector, but could also potentially be used to control the flow of the state budget.
Furthermore, Delpedro explained that the logistics channels formed from this cooperative network risk being repurposed as a political control machine ahead of the 2029 Election. Therefore, Lokataru urges a thorough evaluation of the involvement of defense institutions in the civil sphere to maintain the neutrality of apparatuses and the democratic climate at the grassroots level.
