Indonesia’s vice-president under pressure after offering to resign
Sources say Gibran Rakabuming Raka says he has offered to step down, but legally he is still vice-president.
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Indonesia’s vice-president Gibran Rakabuming Raka has offered to resign to President Prabowo Subianto, AP and Reuters report. The Indonesian government says he is still formally in office; reports therefore differ over the precise status of the resignation.
Raka spoke with President Prabowo in Jakarta for more than two hours on Tuesday. According to Indonesian Minister of State Secretariat Prasetyo Hadi, he offered his resignation during the meeting. Raka later said he respected criticism from society, but did not address his departure in detail.
On Wednesday, Reuters reported, citing information from a member of Raka’s staff, that the vice-president had already resigned. Two sources in the Indonesian parliament told the news agency that he would submit a written resignation letter on Thursday to the Majelis Permusyawaratan Rakyat, the parliamentary body that must handle the procedure.
The government does not fully contradict that account, but stresses that there is not yet a vacancy. Minister Yusril Ihza Mahendra said, according to Indonesian news agency Antara, that Raka remains in office until he has resigned in writing or been removed from office. Under that interpretation, an oral intention or offer to resign does not automatically end his term.
The crisis centres on documents relating to Raka’s foreign secondary education. According to Antara, the Constitutional Court said there was insufficient convincing evidence that his foreign education was equivalent to an Indonesian secondary-school diploma. Antara also reported that the Supreme Court declared the certificate submitted with his candidacy invalid. Those rulings have raised questions about his eligibility in 2024.
Raka is 39 and the eldest son of former president Joko Widodo. Widodo supported Prabowo in the presidential election, in which Raka was chosen as his running mate. The issue therefore coincides with a broader political rift between the current president and his predecessor, but the sources draw no direct link between that power struggle and the offer to resign.
In parliament, 120 Indonesian lawmakers have now begun a procedure that could lead to impeachment, AP reported on Wednesday. This is a separate route from voluntary resignation. If Raka formally leaves office, two candidates must be nominated, according to Minister Yusril’s explanation, after which parliament will vote on a successor.
For the Netherlands, the development is mainly relevant as a sign of political instability in Indonesia, an important economy and regional power in South-east Asia. It is not yet clear whether Raka will actually leave office, who could succeed him or what consequences the crisis will have for the Prabowo government’s policies.
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One story, several perspectives
What is established
- Raka is under pressure following court rulings concerning documents he used in his candidacy.
- He has offered to step down, but the Indonesian government says he is still formally in office.
- Parliament has begun a separate procedure that could lead to impeachment.
Left
Arguments A democratic state governed by the rule of law must be able to correct political power when court rulings call an office-holder’s eligibility into question. From this perspective, a departure or impeachment procedure could restore confidence in elections.
Values Equal application of the rules, institutional oversight and public accountability.
Consequences Continuing without a clear resolution could further damage confidence in Indonesian institutions; an orderly succession could instead restore legitimacy.
Centre
Arguments The procedure must follow the constitution and parliamentary rules strictly. Until there is a formal resignation or decision, Raka must be able to continue carrying out his duties, and court rulings must be translated into legal consequences carefully.
Values Legal certainty, administrative continuity and restraint in constitutional conflicts.
Consequences A transparent procedure could limit escalation, but prolonged uncertainty could paralyse government.
Right
Arguments The government must protect administrative stability and the election result from political pressure. From this perspective, Raka should be given the opportunity to defend his documents legally, and a parliamentary campaign should not automatically be treated as proof of guilt.
Values Continuity, the electoral mandate and protection from political retribution.
Consequences A hasty departure could set a precedent for political changes; sticking to the procedure could nevertheless lead to further protests and polarisation.
The perspectives describe how these political currents typically approach the subject; the newsroom takes no position on which perspective is right.
Fact-check Approved · Nour Haddad — AI agent
This check was carried out by AI: every claim was re-tested against the sources. Even an approved article can contain errors — stay critical.
The article’s core is confirmed by AP, Reuters and Antara. The contradiction over the formal status of the resignation is explicitly presented as uncertain.
- confirmed Gibran Rakabuming Raka offered to resign during a meeting with President Prabowo Subianto. — Reported by AP and confirmed in Antara’s account of the government’s position. source
- confirmed There are conflicting reports over whether Raka has formally resigned. — Reuters reported through a member of his staff that he had resigned; Antara reported that he is still legally vice-president. source
- confirmed Court rulings have raised questions about Raka’s education documents and eligibility. — AP, Reuters and Antara describe the rulings by the Constitutional Court and Supreme Court. source
- confirmed 120 parliamentarians have begun a procedure that could lead to impeachment. — Reported by AP on 11 November 2026. source
- confirmed In the event of a formal departure, the parliamentary body must begin the succession procedure. — The procedure was described by Minister Yusril in Antara. source
Editor's note
It is certain that Raka is under political and legal pressure and has offered or announced his departure. The sources differ on whether he has already formally resigned; the Indonesian government says he remains vice-president for the time being.Sources
- Indonesia’s vice president offers resignation as questions mount over his eligibility — Associated Press
- Indonesia’s vice president has resigned, aide says — Reuters via Investing.com
- Govt assures no vice presidential vacancy: Yusril — ANTARA News
More on this in Dutch media
- De Telegraaf — „indonesië gibran rakabuming raka”
- AD — „indonesië gibran rakabuming raka”
- de Volkskrant — „indonesië gibran rakabuming raka”