Indonesia’s vice president stepped down on Thursday amid growing concerns regarding his qualifications for the role following recent judicial decisions that challenged his educational background.
Gibran Rakabuming Raka, a 39-year-old son of former president Joko Widodo, formally presented his resignation to the People’s Consultative Assembly, the nation’s top legislative authority, at the parliament building located in Jakarta.
During a meeting with President Prabowo Subianto on Tuesday, Raka had expressed his willingness to resign, stating his desire to prevent a lengthy political dispute. However, a Cabinet minister revealed that the president had advised Raka to defend his position, leaving uncertainty about whether Raka officially resigned.
Last month, both the Constitutional Court and the Supreme Court determined that the documents Raka provided concerning his international education did not fulfill electoral criteria.
Following this, on Wednesday, 120 lawmakers from eight different political groups filed a petition to the House leadership, initiating a parliamentary procedure that could potentially result in his impeachment.
According to Indonesian legislation, House leaders are required to form a special committee to investigate whether Raka has breached the constitution by acting as vice president while allegedly failing to satisfy electoral qualifications.
If the legislators find adequate grounds for the claim, the House must request the Constitutional Court to decide if a constitutional breach has taken place.
The inquiry into Raka’s academic qualifications appears to be unrelated to ongoing investigations regarding allegations that senior police officials were involved in wiretapping efforts directed at the president.