Indonesia Vice President Gibran Resigns as Diploma Scandal Triggers Impeachment Pressure
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Nov 12
Indonesia Vice President Gibran Resigns as Diploma Scandal Triggers Impeachment Pressure
3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Nov 12
Summary
Gibran Rakabuming Raka submitted his resignation to Parliament on Thursday, abruptly removing Indonesia’s vice president as questions over his academic eligibility intensified.
Two court setbacks drove the pressure: the Constitutional Court said last month it found no convincing evidence of a foreign diploma equivalent to an Indonesian high-school certificate, and the Supreme Court later revoked a 2019 equivalency certificate.
The resignation deepens a rupture between President Prabowo Subianto and former president Joko Widodo, Gibran’s father, whose alliance had powered the 2024 ticket and symbolized political continuity.
That break has widened in recent weeks after officials seen as close to Jokowi were arrested over alleged wiretapping of Prabowo, while Jokowi on Thursday publicly backed the government despite his son’s exit.
Gibran’s fall also revives scrutiny of the 2023 Constitutional Court ruling that let the now-39 politician run before age 40, and adds uncertainty as Prabowo’s approval weakens after two turbulent years in office.