Jokowi's Response to Jusuf Kalla: I Am a Village Person
Former President Joko Widodo responded to the statement by former Vice President Jusuf Kalla, who claimed to have played a role in his political journey leading to his election as Indonesia’s seventh president. Kalla’s statement was delivered during a press conference at his residence in South Jakarta on Saturday, 18 April 2026.
Jokowi said he is nobody. He mentioned coming from a village. “I am nobody. I am a village person,” said Jokowi briefly when met by reporters at his residence in Sumber, Banjarsari Subdistrict, Solo, on Monday, 20 April 2026.
Previously, Jusuf Kalla said he had once warned the General Chair of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP), Megawati Soekarnoputri, when nominating Jokowi for the 2014 presidential election. According to him, Jokowi at that time lacked sufficient experience as a head of state. “Not experienced enough, it could ruin the country,” said Kalla.
In response, Jokowi refrained from commenting at length. He emphasised that the assessment of him does not come from himself. “The one who judges is not me,” said the father of Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka.
On the other hand, Secretary General of the DPP BaraJP, Boy Nababan, also responded to claims by several parties who feel they contributed the most to Jokowi’s victory. According to him, Jokowi’s election as president is the will of the people as well as part of the nation’s historical journey.
“Mr Jokowi does not come from a major political elite, is not a party general chair, and is not from a strong economic circle. He represents ordinary people who gained public trust,” said Boy in a written statement on 20 April 2026.
He explained that since early 2013, Jokowi began to be seen as a symbol of new hope. Support then strengthened through various volunteer movements, including the establishment of the Jokowi President Volunteer Corps (BaraJP) in June 2013.
That organisation, said Boy, became one of the pioneers of the political volunteer movement at the time. Nevertheless, he emphasised that BaraJP does not claim to be the party most responsible for Jokowi’s victory in the 2014 presidential election. “BaraJP is only a small part of that long process. What determines it is still the Indonesian people,” he said.
According to him, Jokowi’s victory cannot be separated from the dynamics of democracy and the choice of the majority of voters. The legitimacy of leadership, he said, comes from the people’s voice through the election mechanism.
Amid global challenges in 2026, Boy urged the public not to get caught up in debates that could potentially divide. “The world’s geopolitical and economic situation is not easy. The government needs support from all parties so that Indonesia can get through this period well,” he said.
He hopes the public will focus more on maintaining national unity rather than debating past political claims.