Indonesia's Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka has tendered his resignation, as reported by an aide to the BBC. This move may further strain the political alliance that facilitated President Prabowo Subianto's ascension. The Indonesian Supreme Court deemed invalid a high-school document used during Gibran's 2024 election campaign, leading to over 100 lawmakers supporting a parliamentary initiative that could have initiated impeachment proceedings against him. On Wednesday, Gibran submitted his resignation letter directly to Prabowo, though it remains unclear if it has been accepted. The Supreme Court found no evidence to prove Gibran had graduated from high school, despite his claims of meeting the legal requirements through an equivalence certificate obtained from studying abroad.
The political landscape in Indonesia is currently fraught with tension. Gibran's rise as Prabowo's running mate was a result of an alliance formed between Joko Widodo (Jokowi) and Prabowo, despite their historical rivalry. However, since assuming the presidency, Prabowo has shown little enthusiasm for pushing forward Jokowi's flagship project: the construction of Nusantara, a new capital. Instead, he has prioritized his own initiative to provide free school meals nationwide. Over the past year, Prabowo has also replaced several key personnel, including long-serving finance minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati, who was considered a Jokowi loyalist.
Last week, presidential chief of staff Listyo Sigit Prabowo (no relation to the president) was arrested on suspicions of wiretapping the president. Prabowo dismissed Listyo the next day, which many interpreted as a sign of a deteriorating alliance, as Listyo is widely regarded as a long-time ally of Jokowi. Recently, three members of Prabowo's cabinet resigned from the party led by Kaesang Pangarep, Jokowi's youngest son, citing their commitment to their roles in Prabowo's administration.
Indonesia is currently grappling with several challenges, including funding issues for the free school meals program, wildfires, a crisis in the national stock market due to alleged market manipulation, and widespread student demonstrations protesting against the government's handling of various issues such as environmental crises and corruption.