Indonesia Vice President Gibran Raka Offers Resignation to Prabowo
The 39-year-old son of former President Joko Widodo made the offer during a two-hour meeting in Jakarta, citing a dispute over his academic credentials.
By Amit Ricci ·
Indonesia’s vice president offered to resign during a Tuesday meeting with President Prabowo Subianto, according to state officials. The move adds to instability at the top of the country’s government as questions mount over Raka’s eligibility to hold office.
The 39-year-old son of former President Joko Widodo held talks with Prabowo for more than two hours, said Prasetyo Hadi, the minister for the State Secretariat. Hadi told reporters at a press conference at the presidential palace that it was not immediately clear whether the president accepted the offer. He said Prabowo advised Raka to continue pursuing legal avenues to defend the validity of his academic documents.
When Raka left his office later in the day, he made a brief statement to reporters. He did not address the resignation offer directly. “I respect all criticism and feedback from the public regarding the developments that are taking place,” Raka said. “I do not want the current situation to become a prolonged political controversy.”
The resignation offer follows a ruling last month by the Supreme Court. The court determined that the documents Raka submitted regarding his overseas education did not meet election requirements. That decision intensified political pressure on Raka and fueled calls from some lawmakers for his impeachment.
The academic dispute is distinct from a separate probe into allegations that top police officials were involved in a wiretap targeting the president. The investigation implicates Gen. Listyo Sigit Prabowo, who serves as the president’s chief of staff, along with three other police generals. Listyo previously served as national police chief under Widodo, who has not been implicated in the wiretapping case.
The events occur amid a widening political rift between the current and former presidents. Widodo, who is popular, backed Prabowo’s presidential bid after Prabowo chose Raka as his running mate. Widodo now faces unrelated allegations that he used a fake university diploma, which he denies.
Prasetyo Hadi confirmed the details of the meeting and the subsequent statements. Raka’s offer to step down places the focus on the legal validity of his credentials as the next major step in the dispute.
