Indonesian vice president offers resignation as questions mount about his electability: NPR
FILE – Indonesian Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka, left, walks with President Prabowo Subianto after Subianto delivered his state of the nation address at the Parliament in Jakarta, Indonesia, Friday, Aug. 14, 2026.
Dita Alangkara/AP
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Dita Alangkara/AP
JAKARTA, Indonesia — Indonesia’s vice president offered to resign Tuesday during a meeting with President Prabowo Subianto, officials said, adding to unrest at the highest levels of the country’s leadership.
Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka, the 39-year-old son of former President Joko Widodo, spoke for more than two hours with Prabowo, according to State Secretariat Minister Prasetyo Hadi.
It was not immediately clear whether Prabowo had accepted the resignation, Hadi told reporters at a news conference at the presidential palace. The president advised Raka to “continue to use legal avenues to defend the validity of his academic documents,” Hadi said.
As he left his office later in the day, Raka gave a brief statement to reporters without addressing the resignation offer.
“I respect all criticism and public comments regarding ongoing developments,” Raka said. “I don’t want the current situation to turn into a prolonged political controversy.”
The resignation offer comes amid growing pressure on Raka following a legal dispute over his academic qualifications. This was apparently unrelated to an ongoing investigation into allegations that senior police officials, including the president’s chief of staff, Gen. Listyo Sigit Prabowo, were involved in wiretapping targeting the president. Three other police generals were also implicated in this case.
Listyo previously served as national police chief under Widodo, who was not involved in the wiretapping investigation.
These developments come amid a growing political divide between Prabowo and Widodo. The popular former president supported Prabowo’s presidential bid after choosing Raka as his running mate.
Controversy over Raka’s academic qualifications intensified last month after the Supreme Court ruled that documents he submitted regarding his studies abroad did not meet election requirements.
The decision intensified political pressure on Raka and fueled calls from some lawmakers for his impeachment.
Widodo faces unrelated allegations that he used a fake college diploma, which he denies.
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