Indonesian Vice President Gibran Resigns After Court Rulings on Education Papers
Indonesian Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka has tendered his resignation to President Prabowo Subianto, an aide said, after court rulings on his education documents and an impeachment petition signed by 120 lawmakers. The upper house must now approve it and choose a replacement.
Indonesian Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka resigned on Wednesday, November 11, 2026, an aide said, after court rulings found his education documents did not meet election requirements. The move threatens a key political alliance in Southeast Asia's largest economy.
Gibran, 39, is the son of former president Joko Widodo, widely known as Jokowi. His aide, Budi Arie Setiadi, said he had tendered his resignation to President Prabowo Subianto earlier that day.
Gibran's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Two sources at the parliamentary upper house, which oversees approval of a resignation and the choice of a replacement, said he would submit his resignation letter there on Thursday morning.
Petition and court rulings
Earlier on Wednesday, 120 legislators from across the political spectrum submitted a petition demanding his impeachment. One signatory, Mardani Ali Sera, said Gibran "no longer meets the requirements as vice president as stipulated in Indonesia's constitution."
The pressure follows rulings last month by the Constitutional Court and the Supreme Court. On Tuesday, the Supreme Court said it was instructing the education ministry to withdraw an education equivalence certificate that the court has annulled.
Gibran, who studied abroad, used that certificate to meet the schooling requirement for the 2024 election, which he won alongside Prabowo. Election law requires vice-presidential candidates to have finished senior high school or an equivalent.
The court found the certificate was issued on evidence that did not prove he had graduated. "No evidence was found to show Gibran had a foreign diploma or certificate that could serve as the basis for equivalency with a senior high school or equivalent qualification," it said.
How a successor is chosen
Senior law minister Yusril Ihza Mahendra said the upper house must convene a session to declare a vacancy once the letter arrives. It will also write to the president asking him to submit two names.
The upper house would then hold an election within 60 days.
Gibran told Prabowo of his intention to resign at a meeting on Tuesday. State Secretariat Minister Prasetyo Hadi said the two held more than two hours of talks and that Prabowo advised Gibran to keep pursuing legal avenues to defend his academic documents.
After the meeting, Gibran told reporters: "I do not want the current situation to become a prolonged political controversy."
Strain between Prabowo and Jokowi
Political analysts say an open split between Prabowo, a former general, and Widodo could deepen instability for an administration already hit by scandals over signature programs such as free school meals. Widodo twice defeated Prabowo for the presidency before backing him.
Last week, Prabowo fired his chief of staff, widely seen as a Jokowi loyalist, after the official was arrested on accusations of bugging the president and other figures.
Investor sentiment toward Indonesia has weakened this year amid scrutiny of fiscal plans and lingering risks that index provider MSCI could downgrade its stock market.
Gibran's place on the 2024 ticket was already marked by ethics complaints, after the Constitutional Court, then headed by his uncle, removed an age limit that would have blocked his candidacy.
