Gibran Quits as Indonesia’s VP After Court Finds No High School Proof

Indonesia’s Vice-President Gibran Rakabuming Raka formally resigned on Thursday, November 12, after the country’s highest courts ruled that documents proving he completed senior high school—a legal requirement for the office—were invalid.

The 39-year-old, the youngest person ever to hold the post and the eldest son of former President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo, submitted his resignation letter to the People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR), the country’s highest legislative body, and to President Prabowo Subianto. MPR Speaker Ahmad Muzani confirmed the submission, saying parliamentary leaders would discuss the next steps.

Under the constitution, a vice-presidential vacancy does not trigger a fresh election. The post remains empty until the MPR elects a replacement from two candidates nominated by the president, a process that must be completed within 60 days.

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Gibran’s exit ends a tenure that began on October 20, 2024, when he and Prabowo took office after a landslide election victory. It also deepens strains in the political alliance between Prabowo and Jokowi that helped deliver that win.

Court rulings force the issue
The crisis stems from two October court decisions. On October 6, the Constitutional Court found no convincing evidence that Gibran held a foreign diploma or certificate equivalent to an Indonesian senior high school qualification. Although the court dismissed the petition on procedural grounds and did not remove him from office, its findings undermined the basis of his 2024 candidacy.

On October 30, the Supreme Court went further, annulling the educational equivalency certificate Gibran had submitted to the General Elections Commission. The certificate, issued in 2019 by the Directorate General of Primary and Secondary Education, had recognised his overseas studies as equivalent to an Indonesian vocational high school diploma in accounting and finance. The court ruled there was “no evidence… to show Gibran had a foreign diploma or certificate that could serve as the basis for equivalency.” It instructed the education ministry to withdraw the document.

Indonesian election law requires presidential and vice-presidential candidates to have completed senior secondary school or its equivalent. Gibran studied in Singapore and Australia after early schooling in Surakarta. He later earned a marketing degree in Singapore and has repeatedly argued that university admission itself proved he finished high school. “If I hadn’t graduated from high school, how could I have gone to university?” he said after the Constitutional Court ruling.

Pressure mounts in parliament
The court decisions triggered a parliamentary push. More than 100 lawmakers from eight parties backed a formal motion that could have led to impeachment proceedings. Gibran met Prabowo for more than two hours on Tuesday and indicated he intended to resign to avoid prolonged controversy. An aide, Budi Arie Setiadi, confirmed the resignation letter was delivered to the president on Wednesday.

Gibran left the MPR meeting on Thursday without speaking to reporters. His departure comes amid wider public discontent over the economy, corruption concerns and wildfires, adding to the political uncertainty surrounding Prabowo’s administration.

The episode also marks a sharp reversal for a politician once seen as the dynastic face of Jokowi’s continued influence. Whether the resignation fully severs the Prabowo-Jokowi alliance remains to be seen, but it leaves Indonesia without a vice-president and forces the president to nominate successors within days.