Golkar Responds to Gibran's Wish to Resign: No Rule Requiring VP to Seek President's Approval

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - Ahmad Doli Kurnia, Deputy Chairperson of the Golkar Party, stated that there is no constitutional rule requiring the resignation of a vice president to be submitted to the President for approval.

This statement was made in response to reports that Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka has expressed his intention to resign to President Prabowo Subianto.

"There is no provision in our constitution stating that a vice president's resignation needs to be submitted to the president for approval; that's not in there, there are no such rules," Doli said at the Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR) on Tuesday (10/11/2026).

Doli mentioned that if Gibran genuinely wishes to resign, this decision should be disclosed to the public.

"A resignation should be announced publicly, in my opinion, as a form of resignation decision," he stated.

Doli emphasized that if Gibran's resignation does indeed occur, the DPR will be one of the institutions that will address it.

"If it happens, then institutions like the DPR will need to respond to the resignation," he said.

Doli reiterated that the President is not the one who decides on the resignation of the vice president.

On a separate note, Doli clarified that the DPR does not have the authority to reject someone who declares their resignation from the vice president's position.

He explained that a vice president's resignation falls under the provisions of Article 8 of the 1945 Constitution.

"I think they don't have that authority. If someone wants to announce their resignation, it falls under Article 8," he said.

Doli mentioned that Article 8 outlines conditions under which the president or vice president may cease their duties, including death, resignation, or dismissal.

Meanwhile, if Gibran's resignation takes place, the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) will need to hold a special session to find a replacement.

"At the end, for finding a replacement, a special MPR session must be convened," Doli said.

Gibran Expresses Resignation Intent to Prabowo

Previously reported, Minister of State Secretariat Prasetyo Hadi confirmed that Gibran has conveyed his intention to resign from the vice presidency to Prabowo.

Prasetyo stated that Gibran expressed this intention during a meeting with Prabowo at the Palace on Tuesday morning.

The meeting lasted about 2.5 hours.

"During the conversation, the Vice President, alongside President Prabowo Subianto, stated his intention to resign in light of the ongoing dynamics related to the decisions of the Constitutional Court (MK) and the Supreme Court (MA)," Prasetyo said.

However, Prasetyo mentioned that Prabowo provided several recommendations to Gibran during the meeting.

Gibran subsequently requested time to validate his educational document's legitimacy through judicial proceedings at the State Administrative Court (PTUN).

"In discussion, the President offered suggestions and Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka requested an opportunity to prove the validity of his documents in the legal proceedings of PTUN," Prasetyo stated.

This controversy is related to the Supreme Court's decision to grant a cancellation lawsuit against Gibran's high school equivalency certificate, which was used for his candidacy as vice president in the 2024 elections.

The ruling was recorded under cassation case number 742 K/TUN/2026.

The Supreme Court declared the cassation accepted, reversing the previous court's decision and granting all the plaintiff's demands.

Meanwhile, the Constitutional Court previously stated that the lawsuit regarding Gibran's educational requirements for the 2024 presidential elections could not be accepted, as the petitioners lacked legal standing.

In its legal considerations, the Constitutional Court noted that it did not find documents proving that Gibran possessed a diploma, certificate, or any educational qualifications equivalent to high school obtained abroad.

The Constitutional Court also emphasized that the evaluation of the validity and fulfillment of the requirements for presidential and vice presidential candidates falls under the jurisdiction of other institutions.