On Thursday, the vice-president of Indonesia stepped down amid growing concerns regarding his eligibility for the position following recent court decisions that questioned his educational qualifications.
Gibran Rakabuming Raka, aged 39 and the son of former president Joko Widodo, presented his resignation to the leadership of the People’s Consultative Assembly, the nation’s highest legislative authority, at the parliament building located in Jakarta.
During a meeting with President Prabowo Subianto on Tuesday, Raka expressed his willingness to resign in order to prevent a drawn-out political dispute. However, a Cabinet minister revealed that the president encouraged Raka to defend himself, leaving it uncertain whether the resignation was officially accepted.
Last month, both the Constitutional Court and the Supreme Court determined that the documents Raka provided concerning his international education did not fulfill the requirements for election candidacy.
A petition that was filed on Wednesday by 120 lawmakers from eight different political parties initiated a parliamentary procedure that could potentially result in his impeachment.
According to Indonesian law, House leaders are required to form a special committee to investigate whether Raka has breached the constitution by holding the vice-presidential office, despite allegedly not meeting the election prerequisites.
If the lawmakers find adequate grounds for the allegations, the House must request the Constitutional Court to decide if a constitutional infraction has taken place.
The inquiry into Raka’s academic qualifications was reportedly unrelated to investigations concerning claims that high-ranking police officials were involved in wiretapping aimed at the president.
