From gastronomy to vice presidency: Jokowi scion Gibran Rakabuming Raka’s meteoric rise

Gibran Rakabuming Raka’s rise to vice president-elect of Indonesia has been swift and contentious.

As the eldest son of outgoing President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo, his political journey was both aided by and scrutinized over his familial connections. 

Gibran categorically said six years ago that politics was not part of his plans. 

“I am interested in becoming a businessman, but not a politician,” he was quoted as saying then.

“Politics does not yield much financial gain unless one engages in corruption.”

The Jokowi scion carved out a niche for himself in the culinary world with a catering firm and a restaurant chain, Markobar, selling martabak, a sweet pancake stuffed with peanuts and chocolate. 

Markobar was considered among the first eateries to make martabak with premium toppings such as Nutella, The Jakarta Post wrote back in 2018.

However, by December 2020, Gibran was running for mayor of the city of Solo (Surakarta) in Central Java province, a position his father had held. 

Gibran won by a landslide and became mayor in 2021, relinquishing his position this week as he prepares for his inauguration as vice president in October. 

The Solo election attracted attention, mainly because Jokowi’s son was contesting, wrote A. Harimurti and Made Supriatma in a commentary for the ISEAS Yusof Ishak Institute.

The February 2021 article was presciently titled “The Solo 2020 Election: Jokowi’s Dynasty Begins?” 

“Gibran’s victory signals President Jokowi becoming the head of a political family more than it is about the impressive achievement of a newcomer politician,” they wrote.

“It also suggests that regional politics is now more about having social capital than it is about inter-party competition. This threatens to undermine Indonesian democracy.” 

For his part, Gibran in 2019 spoke about his foray into politics. 

“I believed that we could make a societal impact as entrepreneurs without the need to enter politics,” he was quoted as saying by Detik.com.

His outlook changed after engaging with community members, leading him to see politics as a means to broaden his impact, Gibran said.

“The number of people I could assist was once confined to the thousands benefiting from our corporate social responsibility programs, such as free English classes,” Gibran said.

“But in the political sphere, the potential to help expands to the entire population of Solo, which is around 600,000.”

During his tenure as mayor, many of Solo’s residents approved of Gibran’s focus on infrastructure. They credited him with fostering economic growth and improving living conditions.

Solo resident Daniel Agusta, 31, said Gibran’s policies had helped him.

“There’s been a lot of development here,” the social media influencer told BenarNews. “It has significantly impacted me and my neighbors.”  

Meanwhile, Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto, who had made it known he was running for president in the 2024 election – for a third consecutive time, having lost twice to Jokowi – announced in October 2023 that he had picked Gibran as his running mate.

Jokowi, who had in 2019 appointed his old foe Prabowo as defense minister, could not run for a third term because the constitution imposed a two-term limit.

Gibran’s elevation to vice presidential candidate appeared to signal Jokowi’s unspoken endorsement of his onetime rival Prabowo. Critics said it also showed the outgoing president’s ambition to transform his legacy into a political dynasty.

The move paid off for Prabowo.

In the Feb. 14 election, Prabowo and Gibran secured a decisive victory, winning nearly 60% of the vote and defeating rivals Anies Baswedan-Muhaimin Iskandar and Ganjar Pranowo-Mohammad Mahfud MD, who received about 24% and 16% of the vote, respectively. 

Analysts noted that Gibran’s youth and pedigree were significant factors in their 65 million-vote triumph.

That Gibran was able to contest at all was by virtue of a court ruling last year on candidates’ age requirements. 

Gibran did not meet the 40-year minimum age condition for presidential or vice presidential candidates. 

However, a Constitutional Court decision in October 2023 altered the age requirement, allowing candidates younger than 40 who have held elected office to run. 

This ruling led to speculation that the change was designed to facilitate Gibran’s candidacy, given the chief justice at the time, Anwar Usman, is Jokowi’s brother-in-law.

Critics alleged nepotism and the ruling sparked heated debates about political fairness and the influence of familial ties in Indonesian politics.

Dandhy Dwi Laksono, director of the documentary “Dirty Vote,” which examines alleged electoral fraud in the 2024 elections, voiced his concerns about the integrity of the electoral process. 

Dandhy critiqued the systemic privileges that he believed unfairly facilitated Gibran’s ascent. 

“We cannot call this leadership legitimate. We cannot grant legitimacy and simply move on,” he told BenarNews.

Jokowi has dismissed allegations that he orchestrated his son’s political rise, emphasizing that the decision to run was entirely Gibran’s.

Critics saw Jokowi’s move to back Prabowo as an attempt to maintain political influence and ensure his policies continue after he exits office.

Two watchdog groups, Indonesia Corruption Watch and KontraS, said the February elections were the worst since the country’s democratic transition, as they accused Jokowi of showing favoritism toward the ticket featuring Gibran.

Public opinion about Gibran is divided.

Supporters view him as a hope, while critics see his rise as emblematic of deeper issues within the country’s democratic framework. 

In January, he was widely criticized for his perceived mocking of opponents during a televised debate.

Gibran used the term “greenflation” in a question he asked opponent Mohammad Mahfud MD, and declined to translate it when debate moderators asked, “because [Mahfud] is a professor.”

“Greenflation” refers to potential price rises caused by the adoption of environmentally friendly initiatives. But Mahfud MD responded by speaking about the green economy.

Gibran then gestured like he was searching for something.

“I’m looking for professor Mahfud’s answer, I’m looking for it, where is it? I can’t find it,” Jokowi’s eldest son said.

Critics called his behavior “disrespectful and arrogant,” and for those who had scorned him as a “nepo baby” – a creation of perceived nepotism – this episode was perceived as evidence they were right.

Imelda Yuniati, a volunteer who campaigned for Gibran and knows him, said the opposite was true.

“Gibran is incredibly resilient. It’s not easy to face such insults and remain silent,” Imelda told BenarNews. 

“He speaks little because he is cautious, especially with the media. He focuses on his work.” 

Opinions aside, Dandhy said, it is important to remind citizens even after Gibran is sworn in as vice president that political processes require certain moral standards.

“After the inauguration, I believe we should all remember how it all began,” he said.