Lawmakers will choose a successor from two presidential nominees within 60 days
Indonesia’s vice president, Gibran Rakabuming Raka, resigned on Thursday as questions grew over his eligibility for the office after recent court rulings disputed his educational credentials. 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 the capital, Jakarta. Raka did not comment as he left the meeting.
The resignation makes Raka the first Indonesian vice president to step down before the end of a term since the fall of dictator Suharto and the start of the country’s democratic reforms in 1998.
His father said political turnover is ordinary. “There will always be political dynamics in public office, that’s normal,” Widodo told reporters from his hometown in Solo, adding that he had reminded his son that political positions are temporary. “We will continue to support President Prabowo’s government, especially programs that serve the interests of the broader public,” he said, referring to Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto.
Raka had offered to resign Tuesday during a meeting with Prabowo, saying he wanted to avoid a prolonged political controversy. He personally delivered his resignation letter to the president on Wednesday.
Prabowo addressed the nation Thursday afternoon after holding a meeting with Raka and the parliamentary leadership at the presidential palace. Flanked by Raka and top leaders of parliament, he said he accepted Raka’s resignation “with a heavy heart” and praised the vice president for showing “courage, responsibility and statesmanship” by stepping down.
“He chose to resign for the greater interest of the nation, the state and the Indonesian people,” Prabowo said in a televised statement. “He has been a great help to me, from our election campaign through the past two years of government. Many of our achievements would not have been possible without his contribution.”
The president cited Raka’s visits to 35 provinces and 149 regencies and cities to inspect 303 government projects over the past two years as examples of his commitment to public service. “I will continue to support him, and I pray that he and his family are given strength during what is undoubtedly a difficult time,” Prabowo said.
Under the Indonesian Constitution, a vice presidential vacancy does not trigger a new election. The office remains vacant until the People’s Consultative Assembly elects a replacement from two candidates nominated by the president within 60 days. Parliamentary leaders were due to convene immediately to begin the process of selecting a replacement, Speaker Ahmad Muzani said. “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.
The Constitutional Court and the Supreme Court ruled last month that the documents Raka submitted regarding his overseas education did not meet election requirements. Under Indonesian election law, a presidential or vice-presidential candidate must have completed senior high school or an equivalent level of education. Because Raka completed his secondary education overseas, he was required to provide documents showing that his qualifications were equivalent to an Indonesian high school diploma.
A petition submitted Wednesday to the House leadership by 120 lawmakers from eight political parties began a parliamentary process that could have led to Raka’s impeachment. The push was driven largely by long-running allegations that his candidacy was enabled by a Constitutional Court ruling that critics see as a conflict of interest and evidence of weak political accountability and dynastic privilege.
Before Prabowo chose Raka as his running mate for the 2024 election, Raka did not meet the age requirement of 40 for vice presidential candidates. The court’s contentious ruling in October 2023 carved an exception allowing people who had served or been elected as regional leaders to run at a younger age.
The academic credentials investigation was apparently not related to investigations into allegations that top police officials had been involved in wiretapping targeting the president.