Indonesian Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka resigned on Thursday amid a row over his education credentials, after court rulings found the documents he submitted did not meet election requirements. According to Al Jazeera, the Gibran Rakabuming Raka resignation was submitted to President Prabowo Subianto and parliament, as reported by the speaker of the People’s Consultative Assembly.
The Hindu reports that Gibran handed his resignation to the assembly’s leadership at the Parliament building in Jakarta on November 12, 2026. Al Jazeera reports that Prabowo said he accepted it with a "heavy heart" at a press conference held alongside Gibran at the Presidential Palace.
The Hindu also reports that Gibran had offered to resign on Tuesday in a meeting with Prabowo, saying he wanted to avoid a prolonged political controversy. Al Jazeera reports that a cabinet minister said Prabowo urged Gibran to defend himself at that meeting, and that it was unclear whether the offer had been accepted. No source confirms the later position on that point.
The resignation followed a ruling by the Constitutional Court and the Supreme Court last month. Both courts found that the documents Gibran submitted on his overseas education did not meet election requirements, according to Al Jazeera.
A petition from 120 lawmakers from eight political parties was submitted to House leaders on Wednesday. Al Jazeera reports that it began a parliamentary process that could lead to Gibran’s impeachment.
Gibran, 39, is the eldest son of former President Joko Widodo. He had served two years of his five-year term.
Critics have accused Gibran of never receiving a high school diploma. A Japan Times headline and short excerpt says he filed a certificate stating that his overseas education was equal to an Indonesian vocational high school. That account is available only as a headline and excerpt, so its details could not be verified beyond that.
Al Jazeera reports that the resignation comes amid protests over economic hardship, corruption, perceived authoritarianism and the government’s handling of wildfires, whose haze has made thousands ill. Investigations into alleged police wiretapping targeting the president are also under way, according to Al Jazeera and The Hindu.
The vice president has few constitutional powers. According to Al Jazeera, the role includes representing the president at official events and taking over if the president is incapacitated.
Under Indonesian law, House leaders must set up a special committee to examine whether Gibran violated the constitution. If lawmakers find sufficient basis, the House must ask the Constitutional Court to rule. The People’s Consultative Assembly will fill the vacancy.
The key details of the resignation rely mainly on Al Jazeera and The Hindu. Gibran has not commented publicly on the resignation, and The Hindu reports he did not comment as he left the meeting with Prabowo. Neither source says whether the impeachment process will continue after the resignation, and no source gives the contents of the disputed education documents or an independent check of the diploma claims.
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This article was written with AI assistance from the published reporting listed above. It is part of the World Brief daily news podcast.