All nine Constitutional Court judges dismissed a bid to annul Gibran Rakabuming Raka's election, finding his school file incomplete but saying they could not disqualify him.
Indonesia's Constitutional Court ruled late on Tuesday that incomplete education documents for Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka did not let the court remove him from office. Chief Justice Suhartoyo said all nine judges dismissed the petition.
Petitioners argued that Gibran's foreign senior-high-school credentials did not meet the legal requirement for vice-presidential candidates and were improperly accepted by election officials. Election law requires candidates to have finished senior high school or an equivalent qualification. No graduation certificate was presented, the ruling said.
Judge Adies Kadir said the court found no convincing evidence that Gibran has a foreign diploma equivalent to senior high school, but it could not annul or disqualify him because he has already been sworn in as vice president to President Prabowo Subianto. The court left eligibility questions to other institutions and did not name them.
Gibran attended Orchid Park Secondary School in Singapore and UTS Insearch in Australia, then earned a bachelor's degree through the Management Development Institute of Singapore. His office did not respond to Reuters.
Petitioners' lawyer Bambang Widjojanto said the ruling could support an impeachment effort and could block another candidacy unless Gibran completes a government equivalency programme. In 2023 the same court issued a ruling that allowed Gibran to run despite the age rule.
People Sentiments Mixed
- Judge Adies Kadir said the court could not disqualify Gibran after he had been sworn in.
- Bambang Widjojanto said the ruling could provide grounds to impeach the vice president.