Indonesian vice president resigns before completing 5-year term

Gibran Rakabuming Raka handed in his resignation to Indonesian lawmakers on Thursday, becoming the first directly elected vice president to step down from the country's second-highest position before completing a full five-year term.

“Gibran Rakabuming Raka has tendered his resignation as vice president,” as he met the leaders of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) at the parliament complex in Jakarta, state-run Antara News reported.

The 39-year-old son of former President Joko Widodo, popularly known as Jokowi, was elected in 2024 as the running mate of incumbent President Prabowo Subianto.

State Secretary Minister Prasetyo Hadi said Tuesday that Gibran had informed Prabowo of his intention to resign during a two-and-a-half-hour meeting, amid legal challenges at the Constitutional Court and Supreme Court concerning his educational documents.

Gibran’s decision to step down also effectively halted impeachment plans by at least 120 lawmakers who had proposed exercising their parliamentary right to express an opinion on the former vice president.

Prabowo is now required to nominate two candidates within 14 days to succeed Gibran, and parliament must decide on the new vice president within 60 days.

The outgoing vice president met the MPR leadership for around 20 minutes. MPR Speaker Ahmad Muzani later said lawmakers would discuss the resignation and determine the next steps.

“The MPR leadership will meet today to discuss the resignation, followed by a joint meeting with faction leaders and the Regional Representatives Council (DPD) to decide on the next steps," Muzani told reporters.

'Positions are temporary'

Reacting to Gibran's resignation, his father, former President Jokowi, 65, said political positions "inevitably involve political dynamics. That is normal."

"I have told Gibran that positions are temporary," he told reporters in Solo, Central Java.

Jokowi, however, vowed to continue supporting President Prabowo.

"We will continue to support President Prabowo's administration, particularly its programs that serve the interests of the wider public," said Jokowi, who served two terms as Indonesia's seventh president.