By Ananda Teresia
JAKARTA, Nov 11 (Reuters) – More than 100 Indonesian lawmakers signed a petition on Wednesday that opens the door for the impeachment of Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka, a move that risks further stoking political tensions in Southeast Asia’s largest economy.
Gibran, the son of former president Joko Widodo, has come under intense scrutiny following rulings last month by the Constitutional Court and the Supreme Court saying that his education documents did not meet election requirements.
The controversy has unfolded amid a widening rift between Widodo, also known as Jokowi, and the current President Prabowo Subianto, fuelling speculation over Gibran’s political future.
Gibran stated his intention to resign during a meeting with Prabowo on Tuesday.
Over 100 lawmakers from several parties in parliament have signed a petition stating that Gibran is not eligible for office because the court rulings mean he “no longer meets the requirements as VP candidate,” said Muhammad Kholid, one of the lawmakers signing the petition.
The petition will be submitted to the House speaker, Kholid told Reuters, adding that the formal declaration of the lawmakers’ position on the issue would lead into the impeachment process.
The Supreme Court said in a ruling published on its website late on Tuesday that it was instructing the education ministry to withdraw Gibran’s education equivalence certificate, which the court has annulled.
Gibran, who studied abroad, used the certificate to comply with education requirements and run in the 2024 election, which he won alongside Prabowo.
Indonesian election law requires vice-presidential candidates to have completed senior high school or an equivalent level of education, but the court found that the certificate was issued based on evidence that did not actually prove Jokowi’s eldest son 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,” the court said in the ruling.
The Supreme Court also took into account the Constitutional Court’s ruling, which said Gibran’s education documents did not meet election requirements.
Sana Jaffrey, a researcher at Australian National University, said it would be difficult to imagine that lawmakers will move against Gibran without Prabowo’s awareness or approval.
“Prabowo’s silence suggests that he wants Gibran’s removal without bearing the potential political cost of openly engineering it, particularly a possible backlash from Jokowi supporters whose backing helped secure his victory,” she said.
She said the crisis shows how the political fortunes of a small number of elites take precedence over the country’s need for effective and stable governance.
“Prolonged uncertainty at the highest levels of power will only deepen anxieties at home and abroad about where the country is headed,” she said.
(Reporting by Ananda Teresia; Editing by David Stanway)
