Indonesia’s vice president, Gibran Rakabuming Raka, stepped down after a legal battle over his high‑school diploma. The 39‑year‑old, eldest son of former President Joko Widodo, had served only two years of a five‑year term when questions about his eligibility surfaced. The Constitutional Court and the Supreme Court ruled last month that the documents he submitted for his overseas education did not satisfy election requirements, and critics have long alleged he never earned a high‑school diploma.
Gibran submitted his resignation to President Prabowo Subianto and the People’s Consultative Assembly on Thursday. He had offered to resign earlier that week during a meeting with the president, hoping to prevent a prolonged political controversy. A cabinet minister said Prabowo urged him to defend himself at the time, leaving the acceptance of the resignation unclear.
Under Indonesia’s Constitution, a vice‑presidential vacancy does not trigger a new election. The office remains vacant until the Assembly elects a replacement from two candidates nominated by the president within 60 days. The current president, Prabowo, will therefore need to nominate a successor.
The resignation follows a petition filed by 120 lawmakers from eight parties, which has set in motion a parliamentary process that could lead to Gibran’s impeachment. House leaders must form a special committee to examine whether he violated the constitution by serving as vice president while allegedly failing to meet election requirements. If sufficient evidence is found, the House will ask the Constitutional Court to rule on the matter.
Gibran’s departure comes amid widespread public discontent. Thousands of protesters have taken to the streets over economic hardship, corruption, perceived authoritarianism, and the government’s handling of months of devastating wildfires that have produced toxic haze and caused widespread illness. The resignation also follows investigations into alleged wiretapping by top police officials targeting the president, although the academic credential case is unrelated to that scandal.
Source: Al Jazeera
Read the original article
Editorial note: This is an original news report prepared from the attributed source material with AI assistance. It is not a reproduction or translation of the original article.
