KAHMI Boyolali Holds One-Year Leadership Reflection, Highlights Development Direction and Governance

BOYOLALI – The Regional Board (MD) of the Alumni Corps of the Islamic Students Association (KAHMI) Boyolali held an open public discussion reflecting on one year of leadership under the Regent and Vice Regent of Boyolali. The event was organized in commemoration of the 79th Anniversary of the Islamic Students Association (HMI) and took place on Saturday (February 8, 2026) at the Office of the National and Political Unity Agency (Kesbangpol) of Boyolali.

The discussion brought together speakers from academic, bureaucratic, and legislative backgrounds. Among the panelists were Lukman Hakim, PhD, an academic from Universitas Sebelas Maret (UNS) Surakarta; Bambang Sutanto, Head of Kesbangpol Boyolali; and Wasono Joko Raharjo, a member of the Boyolali Regional House of Representatives (DPRD). The forum was attended by community leaders, HMI alumni, and members of the public, and was conducted in an open and participatory atmosphere.

This reflection forum served as a platform for public evaluation of the first year of leadership of Boyolali Regent Agus Irawan and Vice Regent Dwi Fajar Nirwana, who were inaugurated in February 2025. Their leadership emerged from a highly notable political contest during the 2024 regional elections.

In that election, the Agus Irawan–Dwi Fajar Nirwana ticket defeated the incumbent, who was backed by nearly 90 percent of the legislative seats. Despite being supported by only three political parties holding a total of around ten DPRD seats, the pair secured victory and are now serving the 2025–2030 term.

In his presentation, Lukman Hakim emphasized that assessments of regional leadership performance cannot be separated from the broader context of national and regional development. According to him, local development policies are significantly influenced by national policy directions and overarching development narratives promoted by the central government.

“Regional development, including in Boyolali, always operates within the framework of national policy. Therefore, evaluating local government performance must be done contextually,” Lukman stated.

He explained that since the 1950s, the central government has continuously introduced various development concepts and terminologies, ranging from development in the 1950s, transformation in the 1970s, agglomeration in the 1980s, stakeholders in the 1990s, to governance concepts that have evolved since the early 2000s.

However, Lukman cautioned that such development jargon should not remain merely rhetorical. He stressed the importance of critically assessing whether these narratives are accompanied by tangible outcomes experienced by the public.

“The key question is whether development rhetoric truly delivers welfare, or merely becomes policy language,” he said.

Regarding Boyolali’s economic condition, Lukman noted that the region remains relatively stable compared to neighboring areas. One of the main stabilizing factors is the continued contribution of the agricultural sector.

“Boyolali’s agricultural sector contributes around 21 percent, which is higher than Sragen and Klaten at 13 percent and 12 percent respectively,” said Lukman, who also serves as Chairman of the Indonesian Economists Association (ISEI) Surakarta Chapter.

He added that agriculture functions as an economic buffer, particularly amid declining public purchasing power. In addition, Boyolali’s manufacturing sector accounts for approximately 38 percent, in line with the Subosukawonosraten regional average, while the service sector contributes around 41 percent, slightly below the regional average of 47 percent.

“With this composition, Boyolali’s economic structure remains relatively balanced, reflecting what can be described as balanced growth,” he explained.

Nevertheless, several critical notes were also raised during the discussion. One participant, Eko Wiratno, expressed appreciation for the initiative to hold an academic public forum, but regretted the absence of the Regent in the reflection session.

“Academic forums like this are crucial for absorbing strategic ideas and public input,” Eko stated.

Meanwhile, KAHMI Boyolali Presidium Coordinator Kaiddin emphasized that the open discussion represented KAHMI’s moral responsibility and active participation in promoting good governance.

According to him, public dialogue plays a vital role in maintaining accountability in local governance.

“The Regent and Vice Regent form a dual leadership that must actively listen to public aspirations through forums such as this,” Kaiddin said.

From the legislative perspective, Deputy Speaker of the Boyolali DPRD Nur Arifin welcomed the bureaucratic reform measures implemented through the rotation and reassignment of civil servants based on domicile. However, he stressed that reform must go beyond structural changes.

“Bureaucratic reform must translate into improved performance and better public services,” he asserted.

Head of Kesbangpol Boyolali Bambang Sutanto also appreciated the public discussion, describing it as part of a broader process of reflection and community involvement in regional development.

“This forum represents collective reflection and public participation in development,” Bambang concluded.

The KAHMI Boyolali discussion reaffirmed the continued relevance of public dialogue in local democracy. Through critical and participatory reflection, it is expected that Boyolali’s future development direction will become increasingly responsive to public needs and evolving development challenges.(**)

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