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Indonesia’s Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka resigned on Thursday amid mounting controversy over his eligibility for the post following court rulings questioning the validity of his overseas educational qualifications.
The 39-year-old son of former President Joko Widodo submitted his resignation to the leadership of the People’s Consultative Assembly, the country’s highest legislative body, at the parliament building in Jakarta. He made no comment as he left the meeting.
Raka had offered to step down on Tuesday during a meeting with President Prabowo Subianto, saying he wanted to avoid a prolonged political controversy. However, a Cabinet minister said Prabowo had urged him to defend himself, leaving uncertainty over whether the president had accepted his offer.
The resignation followed a series of legal and political challenges to his eligibility. Last month, the Constitutional Court and the Supreme Court ruled that documents submitted by Raka concerning his overseas education did not meet election requirements.
On Wednesday, 120 lawmakers from eight political parties submitted a petition to the parliamentary leadership, initiating a process that could have led to his impeachment.
The campaign against Raka was also fuelled by longstanding criticism of the Constitutional Court ruling that allowed him to contest the 2024 election despite being below the minimum age requirement.
Under Indonesian election law, presidential and vice-presidential candidates must be at least 40 years old. Raka, however, was 36 when he was selected as Prabowo’s running mate.
In October 2023, the Constitutional Court introduced an exception allowing candidates below 40 to contest elections if they had previously served or been elected as regional leaders.
The ruling sparked allegations of political favouritism and dynastic privilege, as the court was then headed by Raka’s uncle, who was later removed from his position over an ethics violation.
Indonesian election law also requires presidential and vice-presidential candidates to have completed senior high school or an equivalent qualification. As Raka completed his secondary education abroad, he was required to provide documents establishing its equivalence to an Indonesian high school diploma.
Under the Constitution, a vacancy in the vice-presidential office does not trigger a new national election. Instead, the People’s Consultative Assembly must elect a successor from two candidates nominated by the president within 60 days.
Parliamentary Speaker Ahmad Muzani said lawmakers would immediately convene to begin the process of selecting a replacement.
“We ask for the prayers and support of all Indonesians so that this democratic process can proceed smoothly and serve as a constructive new precedent in our constitutional system,” Muzani told reporters.
