Indonesia will soon have a new vice president. Gibran Rakabuming Raka, who had held the post since October 2024, personally handed his resignation letter to the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) on Thursday 12 November, the national news agency ANTARA reports. He had first informed President Prabowo Subianto in writing.
The MPR will elect his successor on Wednesday 2 December 2026, at a plenary session that will also include the swearing-in of the new vice president.
A resignation amid questions over his credentials
According to ANTARA, the resignation comes amid questions about Gibran's eligibility, linked to his high school educational credentials. The letter he submitted reportedly gives no reason for his departure.
Gibran, the eldest son of former president Joko Widodo, was elected in February 2024 on the same ticket as Prabowo Subianto. His candidacy had already stirred controversy at the time over the conditions of his eligibility.
The post is officially vacant
The MPR speaker, Ahmad Muzani, confirmed that the resignation leaves the vice-presidency vacant. Under the constitution, the post must be filled within 60 days.
A joint meeting of the MPR leadership was held on 13 November at 2 p.m. (Jakarta time) to set the timetable. It decided to:
- set the date of the plenary session;
- send a letter to President Prabowo asking him to propose two candidates;
- create a team to verify the candidates' documents;
- set up an ad hoc team to draft the MPR decree.
"The sooner, the better," Ahmad Muzani said.
How the new vice president will be chosen
The procedure is different from a general election. The vice president will not be elected by popular vote but by the MPR, which brings together the members of the House of Representatives (DPR) and the Regional Representative Council (DPD).
The main steps are:
- the president has 14 days, from the MPR's request, to propose two candidates;
- under Law 17/2014, the candidates must come from the parties or coalition that supported the winning ticket in the 2024 election;
- the MPR then votes for one of the two names at its plenary session.
The Coordinating Minister for Law, Yusril Ihza Mahendra, stated on 12 November that the president has full authority to propose the two candidates. Prabowo may consult the parties in his coalition. Several of them, including NasDem, PAN and Golkar, have said they will leave the choice to the head of state, according to press reports.
No names yet
No candidate has been officially announced. Speculation is growing in Jakarta, but the presidency has not commented on possible names. The choice will be an important signal for the balance of the governing coalition until the end of the term in 2029.
A first since 2001
It is rare for the MPR to elect a vice president. The last time was in 2001, when Hamzah Haz was chosen after Megawati Sukarnoputri became president. The procedure is laid down in the constitution precisely for this kind of vacancy.
This time, the process is set to be completed in less than three weeks after the resignation, well within the 60-day limit.
What remains to be confirmed
- The names of the two candidates that Prabowo Subianto will put forward.
- Whether Gibran Rakabuming Raka or the presidency will give an official reason for the resignation.
- The final schedule of the 2 December session and the outcome of the vote.
Main image: official portrait of Gibran Rakabuming Raka, 2024 (file photo) — Darwis Triadi & Ministry of State Secretariat, Wikimedia Commons, public domain.
