Indonesia's Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka has resigned after courts ruled that documents from his overseas education did not meet the country's election requirements. He submitted the resignation amid a growing rift between President Prabowo Subianto and his predecessor, former president Joko Widodo, known as Jokowi. Gibran's departure will not trigger a new national election, but the vice presidency will stay vacant until a successor is chosen.
Indonesia requires presidential and vice-presidential candidates to have completed senior high school or an equivalent qualification. Because Gibran completed his secondary education abroad, he used an Indonesian equivalence certificate to show his credentials matched a local high school diploma. He argued that his university study was enough proof that he had finished high school, but both the Constitutional Court and the Supreme Court found the documents insufficient.
Court rulings and the resignation
The Supreme Court said it found no evidence that Gibran held a foreign diploma or certificate that could serve as a basis for equivalency with a senior high school qualification. On Tuesday, Gibran asked for a chance to challenge the ruling and prove the legitimacy of his credentials, State Secretary Prasetyo Hadi said. He later offered to resign during a meeting with President Prabowo, saying he wanted to prevent a prolonged political controversy.
After the rulings, more than 100 lawmakers backed a parliamentary initiative that could have led to impeachment proceedings. One account puts the figure at 120 lawmakers from eight political parties, who submitted a petition to the House leadership. Accounts also differ on how the resignation was delivered. An aide, Budi Arie, said the letter was submitted directly to Prabowo on Wednesday and that it remained unclear whether it had been accepted. Another account says Gibran handed his letter to leaders of the People's Consultative Assembly at the parliament building in Jakarta, and that Prabowo later accepted his decision.
Alliance strains and what happens next
Under the Constitution, the vice presidency remains vacant until the People's Consultative Assembly, the joint body of parliament, elects a successor. The president must nominate two candidates, and the assembly will select a replacement within 60 days. The resignation comes at a turbulent time for Prabowo, whose ties with Jokowi appear to have frayed since he took office.
Authorities arrested presidential chief of staff Listyo Sigit Prabowo, who is no relation to the president, on suspicion of wiretapping the president. Prabowo sacked him a day later. Listyo formerly served as national police chief and is widely considered a long-time ally of Jokowi.
The government is also dealing with a struggling funding situation for the free school meals programme, the worst wildfires in a decade in parts of Indonesia, and a national stock market that faces crisis amid allegations of widespread market manipulation. Students held demonstrations across the country on Tuesday to protest the government's handling of the environmental crisis and corruption.
Timeline: what has happened so far
- Earlier in October: the Constitutional Court ruled that Gibran's overseas education documents did not satisfy election requirements.
- Last week: authorities arrested Listyo Sigit Prabowo on suspicion of wiretapping the president, and Prabowo sacked him a day later.
- Monday: three members of Prabowo's cabinet resigned from the party led by Kaesang Pangarep, Jokowi's youngest son.
- Tuesday: Gibran asked for a chance to challenge the ruling, and students staged demonstrations across the country.
- Wednesday: a resignation letter was submitted, according to an aide, and accounts differ on who received it.
- Later: one account says Prabowo accepted the resignation. No date is given for that step.
Aasan alfaaz mein
Indonesia ke vice president Gibran Rakabuming Raka ne istifa de diya hai, kyunke adalat ne faisla diya ke unki overseas taleem ki dastavezat election ki shartein poori nahi karti. Ab Indonesia mein naya national election nahi hoga, aur parliament ki People's Consultative Assembly 60 din mein naya vice president chune gi. Pakistani qaari ke liye is ka seedha asar abhi wazeh nahi hai, lekin yeh dikhata hai ke bahar ki degree ko local qualification ke barabar sabit karna kitna ahem ho sakta hai.
