Tensions resurface between Prabowo and predecessor Jokowi

Recent events have reignited tensions between Prabowo Subianto and his former predecessor, Joko Widodo, commonly known as Jokowi. Prabowo, a former general, has a history marked by allegations of rights abuses. He served as Jokowi's defense minister in the 2019 election, which helped restore his reputation and facilitated his travel to the United States.

Jokowi, barred from running again due to term limits, supported Prabowo's 2024 presidential bid, promising to continue his legacy projects, including the development of a new capital city, Nusantara.

During the 2024 election, Jokowi faced charges of ethical breaches and interference in the electoral process. These allegations included a court's last-minute modification of election rules, which allowed Jokowi's son, Gibran Rakabuming Raka, to become Prabowo's running mate. Jokowi's brother-in-law headed the court at the time and was disciplined by an ethics panel for allegedly enabling external intervention.

Prabowo's relationship with Jokowi further strained when he removed or reassigned loyalists and technocrats from Jokowi's administration, initiating a series of reshuffles in September 2025. Among those dismissed was Sri Mulyani Indrawati, who had been Jokowi's finance chief for eight years. Recently, Listyo Sigit Prabowo, a former police chief and current president's chief of staff, was sacked following his arrest in a wiretapping scandal. The motive behind the wiretapping remains unclear.

Prabowo has allocated only 48.8 trillion rupiah in funding for the Nusantara project until 2029, approximately 60% of what Jokowi spent between 2022 and 2024. In September, a coalition, including an election monitoring organization, petitioned the Constitutional Court to review Gibran's eligibility in the 2024 election, asserting that his overseas diplomas did not meet the required standards. Despite this, the court ruled that Gibran could not be removed from office due to his education diplomas.

Additionally, the Supreme Court invalidated a crucial education document Gibran used during the election, though the court has not published its full ruling. Lawmakers are considering launching a parliamentary inquiry into the matter, which analysts believe could be the initial step towards an impeachment process. Jokowi has expressed disappointment in both Prabowo's and his coalition's lack of support regarding Gibran's educational credentials.

Gibran has also apologized publicly for Prabowo's signature free meals for schools program causing food poisoning cases, a stance that contradicted the president's views.