A senior Indonesian official said on Tuesday (10 November) that the vice-president had expressed his intention to resign during a meeting with President Prabowo Subianto that day. This came as Members of Parliament were considering whether to launch an investigation into Gibran Rakabuming Raka's eligibility to serve as vice-president.
Reuters reported that presidential spokesman Prasetyo Hadi told the media: “During the talks, the vice-president said that, given the evolving situation, he intended to resign.”
Prasetyo denied reports that Prabowo had rejected Gibran's request to resign, but did not say whether the president had accepted his resignation.
The vice-president's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The meeting came amid a widening political rift between Prabowo and Gibran's father, the widely popular former president Joko Widodo.
Gibran helped Prabowo secure a landslide victory in the 2024 general election, but some Members of Parliament are investigating whether the educational documents he submitted during his campaign were falsified, and whether this would be sufficient grounds to disqualify him from serving as vice-president.
Gibran, 39, has kept a low profile since becoming vice-president. He and Prabowo have made few joint public appearances over the past two years.
Indonesia's parliament is firmly controlled by Prabowo's ruling coalition. Members of Parliament are considering launching an investigation, which some analysts see as a possible first step towards impeaching Gibran.
Last month, Indonesia's Constitutional Court and Supreme Court both ruled that the educational documents Gibran submitted did not meet electoral requirements. However, the Constitutional Court said it had no authority to disqualify Gibran, and that this was a matter for other institutions.
