Indonesia's vice president resigns amid questions over eligibility and academic credentials
Gibran Rakabuming Raka offered to step down after court rulings found his overseas education documents did not meet election requirements.
Indonesian Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka resigned on Thursday as questions grew over whether he was eligible for the office. Recent court rulings disputed the academic credentials he had submitted, and he submitted his resignation to the leadership of the People's Consultative Assembly, the country's highest legislative body, in Jakarta.
Raka, 39, is the son of former President Joko Widodo. He had offered to resign on Tuesday in a meeting with President Prabowo Subianto, saying he wanted to avoid a prolonged political controversy. President Prabowo said he accepted the resignation "with a heavy heart" and praised Raka's service over the past two years.
Under the Indonesian Constitution, the vacancy does not trigger a new election. The office stays empty until the People's Consultative Assembly picks a replacement from two candidates nominated by the president, and that must happen within 60 days. The Constitutional Court and the Supreme Court had ruled last month that Raka's documents did not meet requirements. A separate petition was submitted to House leadership on Wednesday.
Key points
- Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka resigned on Thursday after court rulings questioned his overseas education documents.
- The office stays vacant until the People's Consultative Assembly picks one of two candidates nominated by the president, within 60 days.
- The credentials probe is apparently not linked to allegations of police wiretapping targeting the president.
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Summarized with AI from the sources above and reviewed before publishing.
