Indonesia's Vice President Resigns After Courts Reject His Diploma

Indonesia's vice president, Gibran Rakabuming Raka, has resigned after two top courts ruled that the school documents he used to run for office did not meet legal requirements. The move comes as the country's ruling alliance shows new signs of strain, according to the BBC and ABC News.

The 39-year-old son of former President Joko Widodo, widely known as Jokowi, handed his resignation to the leadership of the People's Consultative Assembly, the country's highest legislative body, at the parliament building in Jakarta, ABC News reported. He did not comment as he left. The BBC said an aide reported that the letter went to President Prabowo Subianto on Wednesday, so accounts differ on exactly when and to whom it was delivered.

How the credentials dispute unfolded

Indonesian law requires a vice president to have completed senior secondary school or an equivalent. Gibran studied in Singapore and Australia and used an Indonesian equivalence certificate to show his qualifications, the BBC reported.

Last month the Constitutional Court found no compelling evidence that he held a high school diploma. The Supreme Court then ruled the equivalency certificate invalid, saying there was no proof of a foreign diploma that could serve as its basis. Gibran had argued that his university studies were enough to show he had finished high school.

Petitioners in the Constitutional Court case told the court the document was not a graduation certificate. According to ABC News, they said it was a supporting letter from Indonesia's Ministry of Education, based on a certificate of attendance and a transcript from UTS College in Sydney.

The impeachment push

On Wednesday, 120 lawmakers from eight political parties submitted a petition to the House leadership that began a parliamentary process that could lead to impeachment, according to ABC News. House leaders would have to set up a special committee to examine whether he violated the constitution by serving despite allegedly not meeting the requirements. If lawmakers found enough basis, the House would ask the Constitutional Court to rule on whether a violation occurred.

The resignation was submitted just hours before the House was due to meet over the petition, ABC Australia reported.

On Tuesday, Gibran met Prabowo and offered to step down, saying he wanted to avoid a prolonged political controversy. A Cabinet minister said the president urged him at the time to defend himself, and it was not clear whether Prabowo accepted the offer. The BBC reported that Gibran also asked for a chance to challenge the Supreme Court ruling and prove his credentials were legitimate.

A fraying alliance

Gibran joined Prabowo's ticket in the 2024 election as part of a deal between his father and Prabowo, who had been a bitter rival. The BBC noted that Gibran was 36 at the time and became eligible only after a controversial Constitutional Court ruling that exempted him from the minimum age of 40.

Tensions between the two camps have been growing. The BBC reported that Prabowo has shown little interest in Jokowi's flagship project, a new capital called Nusantara, and has put resources into a free school meals program instead. He has also moved many Jokowi loyalists into new roles over the past year, the BBC said.

Last week, authorities detained former national police chief Listyo Sigit Prabowo, who served as presidential chief of staff and is widely seen as a longtime Jokowi ally, over suspicions of wiretapping the president. The president sacked him a day later. A presidential spokesperson described the allegations as actions that may amount to treason, ABC News reported. The credentials case appears to be unrelated to the wiretapping investigation, according to ABC News.

What it means for Indonesia's politics

Under the constitution, a vacancy in the vice presidency does not trigger a new election. The office stays empty until the People's Consultative Assembly picks a replacement from two candidates nominated by the president, a process that must be completed within 60 days. Assembly Speaker Ahmad Muzani said the letter would be processed by the assembly and that it would take up to 60 days.

That gives Prabowo a direct role in choosing the next vice president at a difficult moment. The BBC said his government is also dealing with a free school meals program that is short of funding, the country's worst wildfires in a decade and a stock market under pressure amid allegations of widespread manipulation. Students held demonstrations across the country on Tuesday over issues including the environmental crisis and corruption.

Gibran's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment, ABC Australia reported.

Around Prague, based on reporting by BBC News, ABC News (Australia), ABC News

Cover photo: Darwis Triadi & Ministry of State Secretariat / Wikimedia Commons (public domain)

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