Indonesian vice president Gibran Rakabuming Raka resigns after courts rejected his diploma

Courts rejected the diploma

Indonesia's Constitutional Court and Supreme Court both ruled in October 2026 that the documents Gibran submitted about his overseas schooling did not meet election requirements. During the 2024 election campaign he presented a school-completion certificate from Singapore, and his political rivals challenged whether it was authentic and equivalent to a domestic qualification. The courts concluded that the certificate did not establish his education as equivalent to secondary education in Indonesia, which the law requires for a vice president. The Supreme Court decision annulled the equivalency letter covering his high-school credentials. Gibran, who is 39, is the eldest son of former president Joko Widodo, known as Jokowi, who backed Prabowo Subianto in 2024. The two men have since drifted apart.

Resignation offered, then submitted

Gibran offered to resign on Tuesday, 10 November, during a meeting with President Prabowo Subianto, saying he wanted to avoid a prolonged political controversy. A cabinet minister said the president urged him to defend himself instead, and it was unclear whether Prabowo accepted the offer. The same day Gibran said he would pursue a judicial review, which he described as the president's suggestion. The head of the government communications agency, Syahganda Nainggolan, rejected that account and pointed to legal remarks by coordinating minister Yusril Ihza Mahendra, who said the Supreme Court and Constitutional Court rulings were final and binding.

On Wednesday, 11 November, Budi Arie Setiadi, chairman of the Projo volunteer group, confirmed to BBC Indonesia that Gibran had resigned and that the letter had been delivered to Prabowo. Bloomberg, citing people familiar with the matter, reported that Prabowo had accepted the letter, but BBC Indonesia said it was not clear whether the president had formally accepted it. The same day, 120 lawmakers from eight factions submitted a petition to start an impeachment process. The DPR leader from the NasDem faction, Saan Mustofa, confirmed the total of 120 signatures. On Thursday, 12 November, Gibran submitted his resignation letter to the MPR leadership in Jakarta, according to MPR chairman Ahmad Muzani.

What the constitution requires next

Yusril said that once the MPR confirms the resignation is valid, it must declare the vice-presidential post vacant. No acting vice president is appointed automatically, and government continues to run under Prabowo. The president must propose two candidates with their documents at least 14 days before an MPR plenary session. The MPR then chooses one of the two by majority vote, and within 60 days of the vacancy. Constitutional law expert Titi Anggraini said resignation follows a shorter route than impeachment, which requires the DPR, the Constitutional Court and the MPR to decide under articles 7A and 7B of the constitution. She added that resignation was the more ethical choice for Gibran and a better political lesson.

Protests and the wider backdrop

The resignation came as months of protests continued across Indonesia. Demonstrators are calling for lower living costs, action against corruption and more effective measures against forest fires that have burned for a long time. The political and social situation remains tense as the succession process begins. The move could further strain the political alliance that carried Prabowo to power.