Jakarta, ThedailyID — Former Indonesian President Joko Widodo has described the renewed controversy over Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka’s diploma as a political operation aimed at damaging their reputations.
Jokowi made the remarks at his residence in Sumber, Solo, Central Java, on Friday, October 16, 2026. He alleged that certain individuals were exploiting the controversy to reignite public debate.
“As I have said from the beginning, this is a political operation, and there are also hidden players taking advantage of it, making the issue flare up again,” Jokowi said.
He argued that the controversy was deliberately being raised to undermine his political reputation and that of Gibran, his eldest son.
“Once again, this is a political operation to downgrade someone’s political reputation,” he said.
When asked whether the alleged operation targeted him, Gibran or both, Jokowi replied that it could involve both of them. However, he said the accusations did not particularly concern him.
“For me, it is nothing unusual,” he added.
Jokowi also addressed the positions of several political parties ahead of the 2029 presidential election. The National Mandate Party (PAN), the National Awakening Party (PKB) and Golkar have not explicitly declared support for Gibran to serve as vice president for another term, although they have firmly backed President Prabowo Subianto for a second term.
Jokowi said each political party had the right to determine its own endorsements for future elections. He stressed that other parties’ internal decisions should be respected.
“We must respect that because it is every party’s constitutional right, and we do not want to interfere in their internal affairs,” he said.
Jokowi’s remarks come as questions surrounding Gibran’s educational credentials continue to draw public attention. He maintains that the controversy forms part of a political effort against both father and son, though he did not identify the individuals he described as exploiting the issue.
