The short version
- Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka submitted his resignation to President Prabowo Subianto after the Supreme Court invalidated his high school equivalency certificate.
- The move exacerbates existing rifts between Prabowo and outgoing President Joko Widodo, whose political alliance has shown signs of strain through recent personnel changes and policy divergences.
- The political instability coincides with broader national challenges, including funding issues for flagship social programs, severe wildfires, and allegations of stock market manipulation.
Indonesia’s Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka has submitted his resignation to President Prabowo Subianto, a development that signals deepening fractures within the ruling political coalition. An aide confirmed that the resignation letter was delivered directly to the president on Wednesday, though it remains uncertain whether Prabowo has formally accepted the departure. The decision follows a significant legal setback in which Indonesia’s Supreme Court ruled that a high school document used by Rakabuming during his 2024 election campaign was invalid.
The controversy centers on Rakabuming’s educational qualifications, which have been under scrutiny for some time. Indonesian law mandates that vice-presidential candidates must have completed senior secondary school or hold an equivalent qualification. Rakabuming, who studied in Singapore and Australia, relied on an Indonesian equivalence certificate to demonstrate compliance with these requirements. However, the Supreme Court found no evidence to prove he had graduated from a foreign institution or held a diploma that could serve as a valid basis for equivalency.
This judicial determination aligns with an earlier ruling from October by the Constitutional Court, which reached the same conclusion regarding the validity of his credentials. Rakabuming had previously argued that his enrollment in university education was sufficient proof that he had completed senior high school. Following the latest Supreme Court decision, state officials noted that Rakabuming requested the opportunity to challenge the ruling and provide further evidence to substantiate the legitimacy of his educational background.
The legal challenges against Rakabuming have triggered significant political repercussions. More than one hundred lawmakers supported a parliamentary initiative that could have paved the way for impeachment proceedings against the vice president. The resignation appears to be a preemptive move to avoid formal removal from office, although the acceptance of his departure remains pending. This situation highlights the precarious nature of his position, which was secured through a controversial Constitutional Court ruling that exempted him from the minimum age requirement of forty years old.
Rakabuming’s political rise is inextricably linked to an alliance between his father, outgoing President Joko Widodo, and Prabowo Subianto. The two leaders, once bitter rivals, formed a coalition that propelled Prabowo to the presidency with Rakabuming as his running mate. However, tensions between the two camps have escalated since Prabowo took office. He has shown little interest in advancing Jokowi’s legacy project, the construction of Nusantara, the new capital city. Instead, Prabowo has prioritized his own flagship initiative, a nationwide program providing free school meals.
Personnel reshuffles over the past year further illustrate the shifting allegiances within the government. Prabowo has moved many of Jokowi’s loyalists into different roles, including long-serving finance minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati. The situation intensified last week when authorities arrested presidential chief of staff Listyo Sigit Prabowo on suspicions of wiretapping the president. Prabowo dismissed Listyo a day later, an action widely interpreted as a sign of the crumbling alliance between the two presidential factions.
Within the broader government structure, signs of realignment continue to emerge. Three members of Prabowo’s cabinet recently resigned from the party led by Kaesang Pangarep, Jokowi’s youngest son, stating their desire to focus exclusively on their duties in the current administration. These internal shifts occur against a backdrop of significant national challenges. The free school meals program is facing funding difficulties, while parts of Indonesia have endured some of the worst wildfires in a decade.
Economic and social pressures are also mounting. The national stock market is grappling with a crisis fueled by allegations of widespread market manipulation. Additionally, students across the country staged demonstrations on Tuesday to protest the government’s handling of various issues, including the environmental crisis and corruption concerns. The resignation of the vice president adds another layer of complexity to an already turbulent period in Prabowo’s presidency, raising questions about the stability of the administration and its ability to address these compounding crises.
Sources behind this briefing
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- BBC World↗Indonesia's vice president resigns amid signs ruling alliance is fraying
