Indonesia's Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka has tendered his resignation, potentially worsening the fissures within the political alliance that brought President Prabowo Subianto to power. This development comes on the heels of a Supreme Court ruling that deemed an educational document used in Gibran's 2024 election campaign invalid, prompting over 100 lawmakers to support an impeachment process. The vice president's resignation letter was submitted directly to Prabowo on Wednesday, although it remains unclear whether he has accepted it. Controversy surrounding Gibran's high school qualifications and their compliance with legal requirements for political office have long persisted due to his overseas education in Singapore and Australia.
The vice president's resignation occurs amid growing tensions between him and his predecessor, Joko Widodo (Jokowi), as well as increasing disagreements over policy priorities. Since Prabowo assumed the presidency, he has shown little interest in advancing Jokowi's flagship project—the construction of Nusantara, a new capital—and instead diverted resources towards his own initiatives, such as providing free school meals nationwide. Furthermore, personnel reshuffles have led to many Jokowi loyalists being reassigned to new roles, including Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati. Last week, Prabowo's chief of staff was arrested on allegations of wiretapping the president, which many view as a sign of a deteriorating alliance between Prabowo and Jokowi.
The political turmoil unfolds at a critical juncture for Prabowo's presidency, with challenges arising in various sectors. Funding shortages are affecting the free school meals programme, parts of Indonesia have been ravaged by wildfires, and the national stock market faces crisis due to allegations of market manipulation. In response, students across the country have staged demonstrations to voice their discontent with the government's handling of these issues, including environmental crises and corruption.
[Note: The article reports on allegations and claims made by various parties but does not provide conclusive evidence or prove them as facts.]