Recently, misleading footage purporting to show Gibran Rakabuming Raka, Indonesia’s vice president-elect, announcing his resignation prior to his inauguration circulated widely on social media platforms. The video, which has amassed thousands of views, contained edited snippets of Gibran’s actual resignation speech made earlier in July when he stepped down as the Mayor of Surakarta, Central Java. The edited video, titled “Gibran Rakabuming Raka shocks Indonesia, he suddenly steps down as the vice-president elect,” was uploaded to SnackVideo on October 2, 2024, and misrepresented Gibran’s statements to falsely suggest he was resigning from the vice presidency, generating confusion and speculation about his political future and the motivations behind his purported decision.
In the clip, viewers see Gibran at a podium seemingly announcing his resignation as vice president-elect, which the accompanying text claims is shocking news. The 27-second video presents an alarming narrative, but key context was lacking. The edited footage cleverly interspersed Gibran’s genuine remarks about resigning from his mayoral post with misleading captions and voiceovers, leading many to believe he was retreating from a higher political office before even assuming it. The incident comes ahead of the official inauguration scheduled for October 20, 2024, for both Gibran and presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto, at which time they will step into their respective roles.
Local media touched upon Gibran’s alleged criticisms of Prabowo from years earlier between 2014 and 2019, which resurfaced in conjunction with the circulated video. These past statements and a perception of nepotism have raised eyebrows regarding Gibran’s ascension to the role of vice president. His father, Joko Widodo, known as Jokowi, has faced accusations of attempting to create a political dynasty after changes in candidate eligibility rules facilitated Gibran’s entry into the vice presidential race. As the son of the outgoing president, Gibran already occupies a politically sensitive position, and the authenticity of his commitment to public office is therefore scrutinized.
Although some social media users perceived the post as genuine and commented approvingly on Gibran’s supposed resignation, it is crucial to highlight that as of October 9, no credible sources or official announcements validated the claims of his stepping down from the vice presidency. Investigations conducted via reverse image searches confirmed that the video had been manipulated from authentic footage of his resignation as mayor—an error that underscores the challenges faced by voters and constituents in discerning truth from misinformation in digital landscapes.
The original resignation took place during the Plenary Meeting of the Surakarta Regional Legislative Councils on July 17, 2024, during which Gibran concluded his service as mayor officially. News outlets like Tribun Medan TV provided coverage that verifiably documented this event, shedding light on his intentions concerning local governance prior to embarking on a national political endeavor. The misleading version selectively omitted relevant details from Gibran’s remarks to splice confusion into the narrative of his political trajectory. It falsely depicted him as detached from his responsibilities even before taking office at a higher level.
In the genuine clips, Gibran clearly articulated his resignation from the mayoral position due to his appointment as vice president-elect, reaffirming his commitment to serving at the national level. Viewing both the authentic and manipulated footage invites critical examination of the ongoing impact that misinformation can have on public opinion and political processes. As engagement in social media continues to swell, factual integrity in political communications becomes paramount, especially in a politically charged environment such as Indonesia’s, where dynastic politics and online misinformation intersect dramatically.