All nine Constitutional Court judges dismissed a petition over Gibran Rakabuming Raka's school record. They said the documents were incomplete but that they could not disqualify a sitting vice president.
Indonesia's Constitutional Court dismissed a petition late on Tuesday that sought to annul Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka's 2024 election win over his education record. All nine judges rejected the case, Chief Justice Suhartoyo said.
Petitioners argued that Gibran's foreign senior-high-school credentials did not meet the legal requirement and were wrongly accepted by election officials. Judge Adies Kadir said the court found no convincing evidence that Gibran has a foreign diploma equivalent to completing senior high school. No graduation certificate was presented.
The court still refused to disqualify him. Adies said the petition could no longer be treated as an election-results dispute because Gibran has been sworn in as vice president to President Prabowo Subianto. He said other institutions, which he did not name, have authority over the missing certificate.
Gibran, son of former president Joko Widodo, attended Orchid Park Secondary School in Singapore and UTS Insearch in Australia, then a bachelor's programme through the Management Development Institute of Singapore, Reuters reported. His office did not respond to a request for comment.
Lawyer Bambang Widjojanto said the ruling could ground an impeachment effort and block a future candidacy unless Gibran completes a government equivalency programme. No impeachment filing was announced with the judgment.
People Sentiments Mixed
- Bambang Widjojanto said the ruling could provide grounds to impeach Gibran unless he completes an equivalency programme.
- Judge Adies Kadir said the court could not annul Gibran as the petitioners requested.