The president’s son never finished high school

In Indonesia, several turbulent weeks have passed: claims of wiretapping the president's phone have surfaced, an uneasy political alliance has seemingly collapsed, and now the vice president is stepping down after a court ruled he never graduated from high school.

At first glance, the drama focuses on the educational achievements of Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Rak, but it’s not just that.

What is the essence of political machinations in the third largest democratic country in the world? What caused the Vice President to resign? Gibran, 39, has faced questions about his education for months, including recently in Indonesia's constitutional court.

In response to a motion filed in an attempt to remove him from office, a court ruled last month that “there is no convincing evidence” that Gibran holds a diploma, diploma or degree from abroad that could indicate that he ever graduated from high school. However, the court said it could not annul the results of the 2024 election in which he was elected, although Indonesian law stipulates that having a secondary education certificate is a prerequisite for participating in elections.

Gibran attended Orchid Park High School in Singapore and UTS Insearch in Australia, and then earned a bachelor’s degree from the Singapore Institute for Management Development. But that was not enough to reassure his critics.

The politician tried to win the hearts of the masses, as did his father, the incredibly popular former president Joko Widodo, widely known as Jokowi. This week, Parliament, emboldened by the court's decision, stepped up efforts to impeach him. Gibran met with President Prabowo Subianto on Tuesday and was asked to step down. By Wednesday evening, the vice president had resigned.

Gibran is a controversial figure, and not just because of his education. Jokowi's eldest son showed little interest in politics until he ran for mayor of Solo in 2019. He previously ran several food-related businesses, including selling pancakes with chocolate filling and cheese. When it was initially assumed he could run for vice president, there was another condition he didn't meet: he wasn't old enough.

However, before the registration was closed, the Constitutional Court made an exception to the age limit at the last minute, allowing candidates under 40 to participate in the elections. The president of the court at the time was Anwar Usman, who was Gibran's uncle and Jokowi's brother-in-law. He was later found guilty of breaching ethical standards in the case despite a conflict of interest. Anwar was removed from office, but the court decision remained in force.

The current crisis, according to The Guardian, is largely due to the deterioration of relations between Prabowo, once a disgraced military general, and his predecessor, Jokowi. In 2019, after a decade in power, Jokowi sought ways to maintain his influence after retiring. One way was his eldest son Gibran, whom he sent to the presidency of Prabowo.

Prabowo, who had already lost two presidential elections to Jokowi, accepted Gibran as his vice-presidential candidate, knowing that he could exploit Jokowi's popularity. That worked, and analysts later said his 2024 victory was partly due to the “Jokowie effect.” But the alliance has always been fragile. Analysts said it was likely only a matter of time before it collapsed and that Gibran would be suspended.

In another sign of an important split, it was revealed last week that Prabovo's chief of staff, Listio Sigit Prabovo, who is a longtime ally of Jokowi, tapped the president's phone. Indonesian police said on Thursday they were investigating treason charges brought against four suspects in the case, including Listyo, who has not publicly commented on the allegations.

The situation may remain difficult. “I wouldn’t see it as a one-off resignation,” said Kennedy Muslim, a political analyst.

In the short term, the People's Consultative Assembly (PAC), Indonesia's top legislature, will elect a new vice president from two candidates proposed by the president within 60 days of the vacancy.

These developments will allow Prabowo to get rid of Jokowi supporters in his inner circle and consolidate power around his party, Gerindra, but it also comes with risks.

Faced with street protests, economic instability and discontent with its key policies, such as the free meals program, Prabowo faces a host of challenges. “If his popularity continues to decline, coalition partners who look solid today will start to hedge for 2029 behind his back,” Muslim said.