Indonesia's Vice President Gibran Formally Resigns After Courts Reject His Education Documents

Indonesian Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka formally resigned on Thursday, Nov. 12, ending days of speculation over his future. Earlier reports of his departure had circulated before it was confirmed.

Gibran, 39, arrived at the parliamentary complex in Jakarta at about 11:15 a.m. and met leaders of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) in private. He left around 11:35 a.m. without answering a single question from the journalists waiting for him.

MPR speaker Ahmad Muzani told reporters what happened inside. "Gibran explained his intention in meeting leaders of the People's Consultative Assembly, which is to submit his resignation from his position as vice president," Muzani said. He added that the same letter had also been submitted to President Prabowo Subianto.

What the courts found

The Constitutional Court and the Supreme Court ruled separately last month that the documents Gibran filed about his overseas education did not meet election requirements. Gibran studied in Singapore and Australia and relied on an Indonesian equivalence certificate to show he had finished secondary school.

Indonesian law requires a vice president to have completed senior secondary school or its equivalent. The Supreme Court wrote that "no evidence was found to show Gibran had a foreign diploma or certificate that could serve as the basis for equivalency with a senior high school or equivalent qualification."

Gibran's position has been that his university education is sufficient proof he completed high school. On Tuesday he asked for the chance to challenge the ruling and prove his credentials, State Secretary Prasetyo Hadi said.

Tuesday's meeting with Prabowo

Gibran met Prabowo for two and a half hours on Tuesday morning, according to presidential spokesman Prasetyo Hadi. He offered to resign to avoid a prolonged political controversy.

A Cabinet minister said Prabowo urged Gibran at the time to defend himself, and it was not clear whether the president accepted the offer. Gibran told reporters that afternoon that Prabowo had advised him to keep fighting, including by seeking a judicial review of the Supreme Court ruling.

Budi Arie Setiadi, a former minister and close aide to the Jokowi family, said Wednesday that Gibran had already tendered his resignation to Prabowo.

Impeachment push

On Wednesday, 120 lawmakers from eight political parties submitted a petition to the House leadership. Under Indonesian law, that obliges House leaders to form a special committee to examine whether Gibran violated the constitution by serving as vice president without meeting the eligibility requirements.

If the committee found enough basis, the House would then have asked the Constitutional Court to rule on whether a violation occurred. That process has now been overtaken by the resignation.

Hundreds of people also took to the streets of Jakarta and other cities on Tuesday to protest a range of government policies, according to CNA's reporting from the scene.

The dynasty question

Gibran's eligibility was contested long before the diploma rulings. He was 36 when Prabowo picked him as a running mate for the 2024 election, below the minimum age of 40. A Constitutional Court ruling in October 2023 carved out an exception for people who had been elected to regional office. Gibran had been mayor of Solo.

Critics, in the AP's description of the push to impeach him, see that ruling as a conflict of interest and as evidence of weak political accountability and dynastic privilege. Gibran is the eldest son of former President Joko Widodo, known as Jokowi.

Jokowi spoke to reporters from his hometown of Solo. "There will always be political dynamics in public office, that's normal," he said, adding that he had reminded his son that political positions are temporary. "We will continue to support President Prabowo's government, especially programs that serve the interests of the broader public," he said.

A strained alliance

The BBC reports the resignation could further strain the alliance that carried Prabowo to power. The 2024 ticket paired Prabowo with the son of his former bitter rival.

The BBC also notes that Prabowo has shown little interest in Jokowi's flagship project, the new capital Nusantara, and has put state resources behind his own free school meals program. Last week, authorities arrested presidential chief of staff Listyo Sigit Prabowo, who is no relation to the president, on suspicion of wiretapping the president. The president sacked him the next day, the BBC reported.

The AP said the diploma investigation was apparently not related to the wiretapping inquiry.

What happens next

The vice presidency has few constitutionally defined powers beyond representing the president at official events and taking over if the president is incapacitated. A vacancy does not trigger an election.

The upper house has three days to approve the resignation, according to CNA's account of the constitutional timeline. The MPR then has 60 days to elect a replacement from two candidates nominated by Prabowo. Parliamentary leaders were due to meet to settle the next steps. Prabowo has not named his two nominees.

Whether Gibran pursues the judicial review Prabowo urged him to file is also unanswered.