Illustrative photo via Pexels
Indonesian Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka has told President Prabowo Subianto that he intends to step down, the palace confirmed on Tuesday. However, Gibran remains vice president for now, and it is not yet clear whether he will go.
Minister of State Secretary Prasetyo Hadi said the two men met for about two and a half hours on Tuesday morning, November 10. According to Prasetyo, Prabowo did not reject Gibran’s intention but gave him advice, including to pursue his case through the courts. Gibran has asked for time to prove that his education documents are genuine at the state administrative court (PTUN).
Speaking at the vice president’s office that afternoon, Gibran said he respected public criticism and described his relationship with Prabowo as being like father and son, CNBC Indonesia reported.
How the controversy started
The pressure centres on the certificate that recognised Gibran’s overseas schooling as equivalent to an Indonesian high-school diploma. On October 6, the Constitutional Court said it had found no diploma or proof of foreign graduation behind that certificate. On October 30, the Supreme Court granted a cassation appeal against the Education Ministry, ruling the certificate invalid and ordering it destroyed.
At the opening of the House of Representatives’ new session on November 10, Speaker Puan Maharani said the leadership had received a proposal from about 25 members to use the House’s right to state an opinion (hak menyatakan pendapat). That is the first formal step in Indonesia’s impeachment process. The palace said it respects the motion as a legitimate political process.
What the constitution requires
Coordinating Minister for Law Yusril Ihza Mahendra said that telling the president is not enough to vacate the office. A resignation must be submitted in writing to the People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR), which must then convene to declare the post vacant. The president then nominates two candidates, and the MPR chooses one to become the new vice president. As of Wednesday, there was no public confirmation that a written resignation had reached the MPR, and no session had been scheduled.
Our analysis
There is a gap between the headlines and the official record. Several outlets reported that Gibran had “submitted” his resignation, but the government’s own wording is that he has stated an intention to resign. Until a letter reaches the MPR, Gibran is still vice president, and that distinction matters.
His plan to go to the PTUN may also have limited effect. Constitutional law experts, including Denny Indrayana, argue that rulings by the Constitutional Court and Supreme Court are final, leaving no further legal route. If that view holds, the next decision rests with the House and the MPR rather than the courts.
Gibran is the son of former President Joko Widodo, and his nomination in 2024 was itself the subject of a contested Constitutional Court ruling. How this ends will test whether Indonesia’s institutions can settle a dispute this sensitive by the rules. Irrawaddy Media will update this story as it develops.
Sources: CNBC Indonesia (Nov 11), CNBC Indonesia (Nov 10), IDN Times. Sections marked “Our analysis” are Irrawaddy Media’s independent assessment. Photo: Pexels (illustrative).
