PSI Dismisses PDIP's Call for Jokowi to Show Diploma as 'Clownish'

Indonesian Solidarity Party (PSI) Central Executive Board Chairman Bestari Barus expressed bewilderment at the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP) for continuously commenting on 7th President Joko Widodo (Jokowi), even though he is no longer a party cadre. Bestari was responding to comments by PDIP Central Executive Board Chairman Andreas Hugo Pareira, who asked Jokowi to bring his diploma during his political safari.

“Yes, please be understanding. I am also confused. Why do these PDIP members of the Indonesian House of Representatives prefer to comment on PSI and Mr Jokowi rather than work for the people? How many council members are there, Hugua, Deddy Sitorus? Does PDIP have no other work?” Bestari told journalists when contacted on Saturday (4/7/2026).

Bestari highlighted that PDIP had expelled Jokowi as a cadre, yet continues to comment on him. “Besides responding to someone they claim to have expelled from PDIP, saying they no longer care but it is a lie. The general public sees it as this PDI Perjuangan party just being a bunch of clowns,” he said.

“They are increasingly becoming comedians. Yes, just be understanding, they are just making noise to appear as if they have something to say. We no longer expect them to comment. Right? What they say is also strange,” he continued.

Regarding Jokowi’s diploma, he noted that PDIP is the party that repeatedly nominated Jokowi in various regional head elections and presidential contests alongside other political parties. Bestari assessed that it is impossible PDIP never checked the completeness of the administrative requirements, including Jokowi’s diploma, during the nomination process.

“Their party was the one that submitted Mr Jokowi’s documents for nomination. Mr Jokowi was nominated five times and all five times, because he was accepted by the public, he won consecutively. And the diploma, surely PDIP scrutinised it? They nominated him five times together with other political parties, not alone,” he stated.

According to Bestari, if there were issues regarding the validity of Jokowi’s diploma, they should have surfaced during the nomination process conducted by PDIP. Therefore, he considers the effort to rehash this issue will only provoke polemics in the public sphere.

“So, were their eyes not wide open? Now they are heating up the public, as if the public does not know that they nominated Mr Jokowi and they have seen the diploma. If their party’s reasoning ability is like that, we should just accept it,” he said.

Bestari then revealed Jokowi’s response to being frequently mocked by PDIP. He said Jokowi simply laughed. “He just laughs. Just smiles. The ones with shattered hearts are those who are angry. They go around saying we no longer consider him, we no longer care, but they keep talking. It is just concerning. They say this is a big party, but it is just big talk. Talking about someone they are no longer with,” he said.

Previously, Andreas Hugo Pareira responded to Jokowi’s plan to continue his safari to East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) after Lampung. He advised Jokowi to bring his diploma during the safari. “It would be better if when going there (NTT) he brings his diploma so that, if asked, he can show it to the public,” Andreas said when contacted on Saturday (4/7/2026). The Deputy Chairman of Commission XIII of the Indonesian House of Representatives said the case of Jokowi’s diploma has gone on for too long. Therefore, he said, Jokowi’s diploma could answer public questions. “Because his case has been going on for so long, draining public attention, and socially it has also become a public question,” he said.