A group of 120 Indonesian lawmakers moved on Wednesday to challenge the eligibility of Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka to remain in office. The parliamentary process could ultimately lead to his impeachment after recent court rulings raised doubts about his educational credentials.
Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka, the 39-year-old son of former President Joko Widodo, submitted his resignation during a meeting with President Prabowo Subianto on Tuesday. He said he wanted to avoid a prolonged political controversy.
Lawmakers in the House of Representatives continued to pursue a motion over the dispute because it was not immediately clear whether Prabowo accepted the resignation.
The effort gained momentum on Wednesday after the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle, or PDI-P, announced that all of its 110 lawmakers agreed to invoke parliament’s constitutional right to express an opinion. This mechanism can lead to impeachment proceedings and requires a minimum of 25 members of parliament to propose.
Utut Adianto, the PDI-P faction leader, spoke to reporters after an internal party meeting at the parliament building in Jakarta. He confirmed they agreed to pursue the constitutional mechanism by invoking the House’s right to express an opinion.
The controversy regarding Raka’s academic qualifications escalated last month. The Constitutional Court and the Supreme Court ruled that the documents he submitted regarding his overseas education did not meet election requirements.
The petition was submitted to the House leadership by 120 lawmakers from eight political parties. It alleges that Raka no longer meets the constitutional requirements to serve as vice president following those court decisions.
The House, chaired by senior PDI-P politician Puan Maharani, scheduled a plenary session for Thursday to formally advance and discuss the inquiry proposal. Under Indonesian law, House leaders must establish a special committee to examine whether Raka violated the constitution.
If lawmakers determine there is sufficient basis for the accusation, the House must ask the Constitutional Court to rule on whether a constitutional violation occurred. If the court confirms the allegation, the House can forward a proposal to impeach the vice president to the People’s Consultative Assembly for a final decision.
The move adds to mounting political pressure on Raka amid a widening rift between Widodo and Prabowo that has fuelled uncertainty over the vice president’s political future. Neither Raka nor the presidential office immediately commented on the petition.
