Indonesian court dismisses petition to annul VP Gibran's win over education credentials

Mixed · 2Indonesia's Constitutional Court dismissed a petition seeking to annul the election win of Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka over his education credentials, in a ruling issued late on Tuesday 6 October. 1 2 Mixed · 2Plaintiffs led by former deputy law minister Denny Indrayana had filed the petition the previous month, arguing that Gibran's overseas credentials did not meet eligibility requirements and were improperly accepted by election authorities. 3 2 Centre · 1Election law requires presidential and vice-presidential candidates to have completed senior high school or an equivalent qualification. 3

Left · 1The applicants said the document Gibran submitted was not a graduation certificate but a supporting letter from the Education Ministry, based on a certificate of attendance and transcript from UTS College (formerly UTS Insearch) in Sydney. 2 Left · 1Their lawyer, Bambang Widjojanto, told the court there was a "structured, systematic and deliberate process concealed through manipulation". 2 Centre · 1Before the ruling, an Education Ministry official, Taufiq Damarjati, told the court on 2 October that the equivalency assessment was based on Gibran's overall educational history, and acknowledged that no diploma was submitted during the application process. 3

Mixed · 2Judge Adies Kadir said the petition could no longer be treated as an election-results dispute because Gibran had been sworn in as vice president, and ABC reported the court also said only presidential and vice-presidential candidates can challenge a result. 1 2 Centre · 1Adies also said the court found no convincing evidence that Gibran has a foreign diploma equivalent to senior high school, but that it could not annul or disqualify him. 1 Mixed · 2He said the authority to address Gibran's eligibility given the missing certificate lay with other institutions, without giving details. 1 2

Mixed · 2Gibran 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; ABC said neither school is considered high school, and UTS College declined to verify his enrolment, citing privacy law. 3 2 Centre · 1Widjojanto said the ruling could give grounds to impeach Gibran and bar him from the next election unless he completes a government high school equivalency programme. 1 Left · 1Gadjah Mada University's Zainal Arifin Mochtar said the court was in effect saying the violation exists but the applicants lack standing, that Gibran could not practically run in 2029 without a verified certificate, and that Gibran should consider resigning. 2

Left · 1Andalas University's Feri Amsari said removal would still require impeachment involving the House of Representatives, the People's Consultative Assembly and the Constitutional Court. 2 Left · 1Indrayana argued Gibran never met the requirements, so the impeachment provisions, which cover serious violations or no longer meeting requirements, were not the right route. 2 Mixed · 2Gibran's office did not respond to CNA's request for comment, and ABC said it had approached the office. 1 2

Centre · 1Gibran, 39, is the eldest son of former president Joko Widodo; a 2023 Constitutional Court ruling exempting him from the age limit enabled his candidacy and sparked protests, and CNA noted reported strains between President Prabowo Subianto and Widodo. 3