Vice-President resigns over no evidence that he completed high school
Vice-President resigns over no evidence that he completed high school
Indonesia’s Vice-President, Gibran Rakabuming Raka, has reportedly submitted his resignation letter to President Prabowo Subianto amid controversy surrounding his educational qualifications.
An aide, Budi Arie, confirmed that Gibran submitted the letter to the president on Wednesday. However, it remains unclear whether Prabowo has accepted his resignation.
The development follows a Supreme Court ruling that found no evidence that Gibran had completed senior secondary school or possessed an equivalent qualification, as required by Indonesian law for vice-presidential candidates.
Gibran, who studied in Singapore and Australia, had relied on an Indonesian equivalence certificate to establish his educational credentials. However, the court ruled that there was no evidence of a foreign diploma or certificate to prove an equivalent qualification.
The ruling sparked fresh calls for accountability, with more than 100 lawmakers supporting a parliamentary initiative that could have paved the way for impeachment proceedings against him.
Gibran had maintained that his university education was sufficient proof that he had completed senior secondary school. On Tuesday, he requested an opportunity to challenge the ruling and establish the legitimacy of his qualifications.
His political future also comes amid growing tensions between Prabowo and Gibran’s father, former Indonesian President Joko Widodo, popularly known as Jokowi.
The two leaders formed an alliance ahead of the 2024 presidential election, which saw Prabowo emerge as president and Gibran become his running mate at 36, following a controversial court ruling that exempted him from the minimum age requirement of 40.
The reported resignation comes as Prabowo’s administration faces criticism over funding challenges affecting its free school meals programme, environmental concerns, corr¥ption allegations and public demonstrations.
