Indonesia Vice President Gibran Submits Resignation

Indonesia’s Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka submitted his resignation on November 12, after court rulings about his education documents and a parliamentary proposal renewed questions about his eligibility. MPR Speaker Ahmad Muzani said Gibran delivered a resignation letter to the assembly’s leadership and submitted the same letter to President Prabowo Subianto.

Gibran had offered to step down earlier in the week, saying he wanted to prevent the controversy from becoming prolonged. Presidential spokesperson and State Secretary Prasetyo Hadi said Prabowo had advised him to defend his qualifications through legal channels. Gibran did not speak to reporters after handing over the letter.

The resignation’s formal effect was not established in the reports. Under the procedure described for a vice-presidential vacancy, the MPR must elect a replacement from two candidates nominated by the president within 60 days of the vacancy. No successor nomination or election result was reported.

The eligibility dispute intensified after two court decisions. On October 6, the Constitutional Court said the evidence before it did not convincingly establish that Gibran had completed senior high...