Indonesia’s Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka has resigned, his political aide Budi Arie Setiadi said. The information was also confirmed by two political sources from the upper house of parliament, cited by Reuters.
“This is definitely true,” Setiadi said after local media reported that Gibran had submitted his resignation to President Prabowo Subianto. It is unclear, however, whether the head of state has accepted the document and when the possible resignation would take effect.
Government does not recognize the position as vacant
The resignation announcement contradicts a statement by Law Minister Yusril Ihza Mahendra. He said that Gibran continues to perform his duties and that the position is not vacant.
A day earlier, presidential spokesman Prasetyo Hadi said that during a meeting with Prabowo on November 10, which lasted around two and a half hours, Gibran had expressed his intention to resign because of the developing dispute. At that time, it was also not announced whether the president had accepted the resignation.
Political pressure over educational documents
Gibran, who is 39 and the son of former President Joko Widodo, has come under increasing pressure over the documents he used to prove his education when running for vice president in the 2024 election.
In October, the Constitutional Court found that his documentation was incomplete but refused to remove him from office, saying that the matter should be resolved by other institutions. The Supreme Court subsequently revoked the validity of the equivalency certificate for his education, issued for studies abroad.
On November 11, 120 lawmakers from eight political parties backed a proposal to activate parliament’s investigative powers. The procedure could lead to impeachment, but does not automatically mean the removal of the vice president.
The House of Representatives is due to discuss the proposal on November 12. According to political sources cited by Reuters, Gibran’s resignation letter is to be submitted to the upper house of parliament on the same day.
Sources: channelnewsasia.com, apnews.com, en.antaranews.com