FILE PHOTO: Indonesian Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka looks on before President Prabowo Subianto's speech on the macroeconomic framework to lawmakers at the Parliament building in Jakarta on May 20, 2026. (Photo by BAY ISMOYO / AFP)
Jakarta, Indonesia: Indonesia's vice president resigned Thursday in the midst of a scandal over his high school diploma, adding to pressure on a government facing widespread dissatisfaction over the economy, graft and wildfires.
Gibran Rakabuming Raka, 39, submitted his resignation to President Prabowo Subianto and to parliament, the speaker of the People's Consultative Assembly told reporters.
There had been repeated calls for Gibran to step down following a Supreme Court ruling last month to annul his high school qualification, obtained abroad.
Speaker Ahmad Muzani said Gibran met the leaders of parliament Thursday "to submit his letter of resignation from his position as vice president of the Republic of Indonesia".
Gibran told them he had submitted the same letter to Prabowo.
Indonesia's vice president does not have many constitutionally defined powers apart from acting as the president's representative at official events and taking over if his boss is incapacitated.
Indonesia's currency, the rupiah, fell to a record low to the dollar amid the speculation preceding Gibran's departure, while the Indonesia Stock Exchange rose 2.2 percent.
Political realignment
Gibran's downfall came after thousands of Indonesians took to the streets in recent weeks to protest economic hardship, graft, perceived authoritarianism and the government's handling of months of devastating wildfires emitting toxic haze.
The resignation "marks a significant political realignment, but does not necessarily threaten government stability", according to Khairul Fahmi, executive director of the Institute for Security and Strategic Studies (ISESS) think tank.
"Jokowi will retain political influence, but Gibran's departure could reduce his network's direct access to power. For Prabowo, this creates greater room to consolidate his leadership and pursue his own political agenda," Khairul told AFP.
Speaker Ahmad did not state the reason Gibran gave for stepping down.
Two years into his term, Prabowo's popularity has reached record lows.
Last week, Indonesian authorities arrested the former national police chief and three senior police officials for allegedly tapping the president's telephone.
Youngest-ever VP
Gibran became the youngest person ever to hold Indonesia's vice presidency.
Then, two years into his term, detractors went to court to challenge his high school certificate -- a prerequisite for the job.
Gibran had completed his schooling in Singapore before going on to study for a marketing degree there.
When submitting his candidacy to the General Elections Commission (KPU) in 2024, he filed a certificate stating his overseas education was equivalent to a vocational high school in Indonesia.
Last month, however, Indonesia's Supreme Court ruled to invalidate the document, prompting moves in parliament to unseat him.
Gibran has consistently defended his credentials.
"If I didn't graduate from high school, then I obviously wouldn't have been able to go to college. I studied up to a bachelor's degree in Singapore," he has said.
Prabowo now has 14 days to submit two names from which parliament will have two months to pick Gibran's replacement.
