Gibran and "Historical Fracture"

ANTARA FOTO/Fauzan Wakil Presiden Gibran Rakabuming Raka menghadiri Sidang Tahunan MPR RI dan Sidang Bersama DPR-DPD RI Tahun 2026 di Gedung Nusantara, Kompleks Parlemen, Jakarta, Jumat (14/8/2026).

AT the end of August, before the 7th President Joko Widodo and hundreds of volunteers, Projo Chairman Budi Arie Setiadi introduced a term that sparked widespread discussion.

He spoke of a possible "historical fracture," a political acceleration that is happening sooner than 2029.

This statement was quickly condemned as divisive, leading Budi Arie to apologize later.

Three months later, this fracture seemed to manifest.

However, it wasn't the President's seat that cracked, but rather that of the Vice President occupied by Jokowi's eldest son.

Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka met with President Prabowo Subianto for about two and a half hours and expressed his intention to resign on Tuesday (10/11/2026).

According to State Secretary Minister Prasetyo Hadi, Gibran linked his intention to the dynamics following the Constitutional Court and Supreme Court decisions, while the President neither accepted nor rejected his request, offering several suggestions (Kompas.id, 10/11/2026).

Gibran also asked for the opportunity to validate the authenticity of his educational documents through administrative court proceedings.

Whatever the final decision, this event marks a significant historical milestone.

Accumulating Energy

In geology, fractures do not occur overnight. Energy accumulates slowly beneath the surface over years, then is released in a series of tremors.

This metaphor aptly describes Gibran's position. The line of fissure had already been etched since October 2023 when Constitutional Court Decision No. 90 paved the way for his candidacy.

The Honorary Council of the Constitutional Court subsequently removed his uncle, Anwar Usman, from the position of Chief Justice due to severe ethical violations.

The electoral victory in 2024 masked that fissure on the surface, but did not erase it.

A series of tremors struck in the past month. At the beginning of October, the Constitutional Court stated it found no convincing evidence regarding the equivalency of Gibran's education, although the applications from the petitioners were not accepted.

By the end of October, the Supreme Court granted a cassation and rendered the equivalency letter invalid.