Indonesia vice president Gibran submits resignation

Indonesia vice president Gibran Rakabuming Raka has submitted his resignation, an aide told the BBC, after the Supreme Court ruled that a high school document he used in the 2024 election campaign was invalid. It is not yet clear whether President Prabowo Subianto has accepted the letter.

The aide, Budi Arie, said the resignation letter was handed directly to Prabowo on Wednesday, November 11. The move could put further strain on the political alliance that brought Prabowo to power.

Why the Indonesia vice president stepped down

Gibran has faced questions for a long time over whether his schooling met the legal requirements to run for office. He studied in Singapore and Australia and used an Indonesian equivalence certificate to show his educational credentials.

Indonesian law requires a vice-president to have completed senior secondary school or an equivalent. The Supreme Court found no evidence that Gibran had graduated. In its ruling, quoted by the BBC, the court said no evidence was found that he held a foreign diploma or certificate that could be treated as equivalent to a senior high school qualification.

The court also took into account a Constitutional Court ruling from earlier in October that reached the same conclusion. Gibran had argued that his university education was enough to prove he had finished high school.

After the ruling, more than 100 lawmakers backed a parliamentary initiative that could have opened the way to impeachment proceedings. On Tuesday, Gibran asked for the chance to challenge the decision and prove his credentials were legitimate, State Secretary Prasetyo Hadi said.

A fraying alliance with Jokowi

Gibran is the son of former president Joko Widodo, known as Jokowi. His place on Prabowo's ticket in 2024 was part of a deal between Jokowi and Prabowo, who had once been bitter rivals. Gibran was 36 at the time and only became eligible after a controversial Constitutional Court ruling exempted him from the minimum age of 40.

The BBC reported several signs that the alliance is weakening:

• Prabowo has shown little interest in continuing Jokowi's flagship project, the new capital Nusantara, and has instead focused state resources on free school meals.
• Reshuffles over the past year moved many Jokowi loyalists, including long-serving finance minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati, into other roles.
• Presidential chief of staff Listyo Sigit Prabowo, seen as a long-time Jokowi ally, was arrested on suspicion of wiretapping the president and sacked a day later.
• Three cabinet members resigned on Monday from the party led by Kaesang Pangarep, Jokowi's youngest son.

We reported on the chief of staff case last week in Prabowo sacks his chief of staff.

A turbulent time for Prabowo

The resignation comes during a difficult period for the government. The free school meals programme is short of funding, parts of the country have recently fought their worst wildfires in a decade, and the stock market faces a crisis over allegations of widespread manipulation. On Tuesday, students across Indonesia protested against the government's handling of issues including the environment and corruption.

Political pressure is rising in several parts of the region, as seen in our reports on protests in Bangladesh and on Najib's house arrest in Malaysia.

What happens next

If Prabowo accepts the resignation, attention will turn to how the vacancy is filled and how the ruling coalition holds together. Indonesia is Thailand's large ASEAN neighbour and a major trading partner, so political stability in Jakarta is watched closely across the region. Investors will also be watching, given the problems already facing the Indonesian stock market. Phuket Times will follow further developments.

Image: official 2024 portrait of Indonesia vice president Gibran Rakabuming Raka, via Wikimedia Commons (public domain).