Partying Together, Washing Dishes Alone

TODAY, November 12, 2026, Gibran Rakabuming Raka officially resigns as Vice President of the Republic of Indonesia after submitting a letter to President Prabowo Subianto and the People's Consultative Assembly.

Previously, the equivalency certificate equivalent to high school/vocational school issued by the Directorate General of Basic and Secondary Education was challenged in the Administrative Court and ultimately reached the Supreme Court.

This certificate was used by Gibran when he registered as a vice presidential candidate during the 2024 presidential election.

At the first level in the Administrative Court and the appellate level in the High Administrative Court as judex facti, the panel of judges ruled in favor of the defendant, in this case, the Directorate General of Basic and Secondary Education.

However, at the cassation level in the Supreme Court, the plaintiff was favored by the cassation judges as judex juris.

The cassation decision by the Supreme Court no longer allows for a legal review (PK) by Gibran because Gibran did not have legal standing as an intervening defendant.

Only the defendant, namely the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education, could file a PK. However, no PK will be submitted.

This clearly indicates that the political nuance is very dominant. How could a minister under the President, who is also the Vice President, not fight for the validity of documents related to the Vice President, continuously opposing the plaintiff using legal measures like PK?

Moreover, it is regrettable that Gibran, as a party related to the lawsuit, was not presented as an intervening defendant.

Gibran has been judged unilaterally by the court without being asked to appear, let alone testify before the law. Gibran was not given the opportunity by the court to present evidence.

The same applies in the hearing of the election results dispute (PHPU) filed by Denny Indrayana to the Constitutional Court (MK).

The MK decided to reject Denny Indrayana and others' petition as it was outdated for trial as a PHPU case under the Election Law.

However, strangely, the MK panel created a legal consideration narrative stating that it did not find any diploma or document equivalent to the high school/vocational school diploma that Gibran possessed, even though Gibran was never called by the MK.

Gibran was judged without being given the space to defend himself, both in the Supreme Court and the MK.

It is clear that the decisions of the Supreme Court and the MK are politically nuanced. Moreover, after the decision, coalition parties demanded Gibran's resignation.