Indonesia’s vice-president ‘intends to resign’ after qualifications questioned

Indonesian Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka offered to resign at a meeting with President Prabowo Subianto on Tuesday, according to presidential spokesperson Prasetyo Hadi. "The vice president expressed his intention to resign in light of the evolving situation," Hadi told reporters. Hadi denied reports that Prabowo rejected the request but stopped short of saying the president had accepted it. The president advised Gibran to "continue pursuing legal avenues to defend the validity of his academic documents," Hadi said according to NPR.

The meeting came as lawmakers in parliament consider launching an inquiry into whether Gibran was eligible to stand in the 2024 election. The issue follows rulings last month by the Constitutional Court and Supreme Court that the education documents he submitted did not meet election requirements. The Supreme Court ruled that documents regarding his overseas education did not meet requirements, intensifying political pressure and fueling calls from some lawmakers for his impeachment.

Gibran, 39, is the son of former President Joko Widodo, known as Jokowi. His political career has been controversial since the Constitutional Court in 2023 cleared him to run despite not meeting the minimum age requirement of 40 for presidential or vice presidential candidates. The court's chief justice at the time was Gibran's uncle, who was later found guilty by an ethics panel of a conflict of interest.

The resignation offer comes amid a widening political rift between Prabowo and Jokowi. Gibran helped Prabowo win the 2024 election by a huge margin, but cracks widened last week following the arrest of three senior police officers, including a Jokowi ally recently moved from the post of national police chief, accused of illegal wiretapping including of Prabowo. Prabowo's approval rating has slumped over the past year amid discontent over his big-spending populist policies.

Later on Tuesday, Gibran told reporters Prabowo advised him to "fight" to prove his credentials and made no mention of discussing his resignation. "The president has become just like a father to me," Gibran said. He added: "I respect all criticism and feedback from the public regarding the developments that are taking place. I do not want the current situation to become a prolonged political controversy."

It was not immediately clear whether Prabowo accepted the resignation. Parliament, which is overwhelmingly under the control of Prabowo's "big tent" coalition, is looking into launching an inquiry into Gibran's qualifications, which some analysts believe could be the first step towards his impeachment. Jokowi faces unrelated allegations that he used a fake university diploma, which he denies.