Indonesia VP Gibran Resigns Over Diploma Scandal

Key takeaways

Indonesia’s Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka resigned on Thursday after court rulings disputed his overseas high school qualifications. President Prabowo Subianto accepted the resignation, and parliament must now choose a replacement within 60 days.

Flat illustration of a stylised government building with columns, a ballot box and a graduation cap, in deep navy and gold tones — Illustration: WHAT TODAY?

Indonesia’s vice president resigned on Thursday, ending a weeks-long dispute over his school qualifications that had pushed the country’s politics toward an impeachment fight. Gibran Rakabuming Raka, 39, the eldest son of former President Joko Widodo, handed his resignation to President Prabowo Subianto and to the leadership of the People’s Consultative Assembly, Indonesia’s highest legislative body, at the parliament building in Jakarta.

Speaking hours later at a press conference alongside Gibran at the Presidential Palace, Prabowo said he had accepted the resignation “with a heavy heart”. The assembly’s speaker, Ahmad Muzani, told reporters that Gibran had made the decision of his own free will, for the interests of the government and the nation.

The resignation came two days after Gibran offered to step down during a meeting with Prabowo on Tuesday, saying he wanted to avoid a prolonged political controversy. A cabinet minister said Prabowo had urged him at the time to defend himself, and it was not immediately clear whether he had accepted the offer then.

Why the courts questioned his credentials

The dispute centred on Gibran’s schooling abroad. He completed his schooling in Singapore before studying for a marketing degree there, but critics accused him of never receiving a high school diploma. Last month, the Constitutional Court and the Supreme Court ruled that the documents he submitted about his overseas education did not meet the requirements for election candidates. The Supreme Court annulled his high school qualification.

Pressure grew further on Wednesday, when 120 lawmakers from eight political parties submitted a petition to the House leadership that began a process which could have led to his impeachment. Under Indonesian law, House leaders must set up a special committee to examine whether Gibran violated the constitution by serving as vice president despite allegedly failing to meet the election requirements. If they find enough basis for the accusation, the House must ask the Constitutional Court to rule on the matter.

What happens next

Under Indonesia’s Constitution, a vice presidential vacancy does not trigger a new election. The office stays vacant until the People’s Consultative Assembly elects a replacement from two candidates nominated by the president within 60 days. Prabowo has 14 days to put forward the two names, according to senior law minister Yusril Ihza Mahendra.

Gibran leaves office after serving two years of a five-year term. Elected alongside Prabowo in 2024, he became the youngest person ever to hold Indonesia’s vice presidency. The post carries few constitutionally defined powers beyond representing the president at official events and taking over if the president is incapacitated.

Why it matters

The resignation adds pressure on a government already facing public anger. Thousands of protesters have taken to the streets in recent weeks over economic hardship, corruption, perceived authoritarianism and the government’s handling of months of wildfires that have spread a toxic haze and made thousands of people ill. The credentials investigation was apparently not related to separate investigations into allegations that top police officials were involved in wiretapping targeting the president.

Widodo, speaking from his hometown of Solo, said political positions are temporary and added that he would continue to support Prabowo’s government, including programmes that serve the broader public.

For Prabowo, the resignation removes a political problem that was drawing in parliament, the courts and the streets. But it also leaves him to fill the post quickly while managing the wider discontent that helped bring Gibran down. The choice of two candidates in the next two weeks will be the first test of how the president handles the gap.

Frequently asked questions

Who is Gibran Rakabuming Raka?
The 39-year-old eldest son of former President Joko Widodo. He was elected vice president alongside Prabowo Subianto in 2024 and became the youngest person ever to hold the post.

Why did he resign?
After the Constitutional Court and the Supreme Court ruled last month that his overseas education documents did not meet election requirements, and after 120 lawmakers began a process that could have led to his impeachment.

Who replaces him?
There is no new election. President Prabowo has 14 days to nominate two candidates, and the People’s Consultative Assembly must elect one of them within 60 days.