Indonesia’s Vice-President Gibran Submits Resignation Amid Questions Over Education Credentials
JAKARTA, Indonesia – Indonesian Vice-President Gibran Rakabuming Raka submitted his resignation to the People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR) on Thursday, November 12, amid growing political pressure over questions about his academic credentials and eligibility for office.
MPR Speaker Ahmad Muzani confirmed that Gibran personally delivered the resignation letter to the assembly. Muzani said parliamentary leaders would meet to discuss the next steps and arrange a joint meeting with faction leaders and representatives of the Regional Representative Council.
The submission followed a meeting with President Prabowo Subianto on Tuesday, during which Gibran expressed his intention to resign.
State Secretary Minister Prasetyo Hadi said Prabowo had not rejected the proposal. He added that Gibran wanted an opportunity to establish the validity of his education documents through legal proceedings.
Gibran did not publicly explain his reasons when he arrived at parliament on Thursday.
The MPR must now handle the resignation and determine the constitutional process for filling the vice-presidential position.
MPR Begins Process to Select a Replacement
Muzani said the MPR had up to 60 days from the resignation to appoint a permanent replacement for the vice-president.
Under the process he outlined, Prabowo must submit two candidates within 14 days after receiving a formal request from the assembly. The MPR would then choose the replacement.
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Indonesia’s Constitution allows the legislature to elect a new vice-president when the position becomes vacant. A resignation does not automatically trigger a new presidential election.
Gibran’s formal submission therefore moves the matter beyond his earlier expression of intent to resign. However, the constitutional process for completing the transition still needs to take place.
Education Credentials Trigger Political and Legal Dispute
The controversy intensified after court proceedings in October raised questions about the documents Gibran submitted to establish that he met the educational requirements for the 2024 election.
Indonesia’s Constitutional Court dismissed a petition seeking to invalidate his election as vice-president. However, the ruling noted that the proceedings had produced no convincing evidence that Gibran held a foreign diploma equivalent to senior high school completion or another qualification recognised under election law.
The court said it could not disqualify him through that particular election dispute because he had already been inaugurated.
The Supreme Court later granted a cassation appeal concerning the annulment of the validity of a certificate recognising Gibran’s senior high school education equivalency. The decision added to questions surrounding the documents used to establish his eligibility.
Gibran has sought an opportunity to prove the validity of his education documents through proceedings at the State Administrative Court.
However, the dispute has not resulted in a final determination that he committed wrongdoing.
120 Lawmakers Pursue Separate Parliamentary Inquiry
The resignation also came as 120 lawmakers from eight political parties began a parliamentary process challenging Gibran’s eligibility to remain in office.
The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) said its lawmakers supported using the House of Representatives’ constitutional right to express an opinion. The process could lead to impeachment proceedings if lawmakers establish grounds for a constitutional violation.
Under the procedure described by lawmakers, a special committee would examine the allegations.
If the House found sufficient grounds, it would ask the Constitutional Court to determine whether a constitutional violation had occurred. The proposal could then be sent to the MPR for a final decision.
The parliamentary inquiry and Gibran’s resignation are separate developments.
The MPR is handling the resignation, while the House initiative concerns whether Gibran’s eligibility to serve as vice-president violated constitutional requirements.
Political Uncertainty Surrounds Prabowo Administration
Gibran’s departure adds uncertainty to the political relationship between Prabowo and former president Joko Widodo, Gibran’s father.
Widodo supported Prabowo’s successful 2024 presidential campaign after Prabowo selected Gibran as his running mate. Their political partnership has since faced growing pressure amid disagreements and controversies surrounding the administration.
Widodo said on Thursday that he continued to support Prabowo’s administration, particularly its programmes intended to benefit the public.
The MPR’s next decisions will determine how the vice-presidential vacancy is formally addressed. Meanwhile, the separate parliamentary and legal proceedings over Gibran’s qualifications remain unresolved.
Primary Sources: Indonesian State Secretary Minister Prasetyo Hadi, press statement at the Presidential Palace Complex, November 10, 2026: confirmed that Gibran expressed his intention to resign during a meeting with President Prabowo Subianto and wanted to prove the validity of his education documents through proceedings at the State Administrative Court; People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR) Speaker Ahmad Muzani, statement at the parliamentary complex, November 12, 2026: confirmed receipt of Gibran’s resignation letter and outlined the leadership meetings and timetable for selecting a replacement; Indonesian Constitutional Court, ruling on the petition challenging Gibran’s eligibility, October 6, 2026: dismissed the petition seeking to annul his election while addressing the evidence concerning his overseas education credentials; Indonesian Supreme Court, cassation ruling concerning the validity of Gibran’s senior high school education equivalency certificate, October 2026: granted the cassation appeal concerning the annulment of the certificate’s validity. The complete signed resignation letter and full court judgments were not independently retrieved; the relevant proceedings and rulings are documented through official statements and published court reporting.
