Indonesian lawmakers launch petition seeking vice president's impeachment

More than 100 Indonesian parliamentarians have endorsed a formal petition seeking the impeachment of Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka, following judicial findings regarding his educational qualifications.

The development, reported by Reuters, increases political instability across the nation. The petition argues that Gibran is ineligible to hold office after recent determinations from both the Constitutional Court and the Supreme Court declared that his academic records failed to satisfy legal criteria for election candidates.

Muhammad Kholid, one of the legislators backing the initiative, stated that representatives across several political parties signed the document. According to Kholid, the petition asserts that Gibran no longer meets the legal requirements for the vice presidency. The document is slated for submission to the speaker of the House, a step that Kholid noted would initiate impeachment proceedings.

The controversy stems from an equivalence certificate that Gibran, who completed studies overseas, used to satisfy the mandate that vice-presidential contenders hold an education equivalent to senior high school. In a decision released Tuesday night, the Supreme Court nullified that credential and directed the education ministry to revoke it. The court stated that no evidence was found demonstrating Gibran had obtained a foreign diploma or certificate sufficient to warrant equivalency with a senior high school qualification.

The legal fallout comes against the backdrop of an expanding divide between President Prabowo Subianto and former president Joko Widodo, who is Gibran's father. Gibran had previously conveyed to Prabowo an intention to step down from his post during a discussion on Tuesday.

Analysts suggest the moves within parliament are unlikely to be entirely independent of the presidency. Sana Jaffrey, a researcher based at Australian National University, told Reuters that legislators would probably not act against the vice president without Prabowo being aware or granting approval. Jaffrey noted that the president's lack of public comment indicates a preference for Gibran to step aside without taking on the direct political fallout that could come from supporters of Widodo, whose coalition aided Prabowo's election victory.

Jaffrey warned that sustained instability among Indonesia's leadership could intensify governance concerns and undermine political stability across the region.