Gibran Oh Gibran, When Time No Longer Stands By

According to Kompas.id, the DPR Plenary Meeting discussing the right to express opinions will be postponed to Thursday at 2:00 PM WIB.

This situation could lead to two possible outcomes. First, Gibran may resign through the MPR, halting the right to propose opinions that initiated his impeachment.

Second, the impeachment process against Gibran may proceed. The DPR will expedite the process starting from the right to express opinions, deciding the vice president must be dismissed and sending a letter to the Constitutional Court for approval.

The resignation of a national leader brings to mind Soeharto. He stepped down as president on May 21, 1998, citing Article 8 of the 1945 Constitution.

As a result, Vice President BJ Habibie ascended to the presidency. However, Habibie served without a vice president from May 1998 until October 1999.

Article 8 of the 1945 Constitution that Soeharto used to resign has since been amended. Paragraph 1 states, "If the President dies, resigns, is dismissed, or cannot perform his duties during his term, he shall be replaced by the Vice President until the end of his term."

This paragraph only regulates 'if the president resigns' and does not include 'if the vice president resigns' during their term, as in Gibran's case.

The question is, if 'vice president' is not mentioned in that paragraph, can the MPR directly refer to Paragraph 8, paragraph 2 of the 1945 Constitution?

Paragraph 2 states, "In case of vacancy of the Vice President, no later than sixty days, the MPR shall hold a session to elect a Vice President from two candidates proposed by the President."

Gibran's high school equivalent diploma case reminds this nation that values of honesty and integrity must be upheld.

In Gibran's case, he was not an ordinary citizen when he registered for the Solo mayoral election in 2020. Nor was he when he registered for the presidential and vice presidential election in 2024. Gibran is the eldest son of Joko Widodo, who is none other than the President of Indonesia for the period 2014-2024.

The child of a president should set an example. The certificate of high school equivalency issued for Gibran, the issuance of Article 18, paragraph 3 of KPU Regulation 19/2023, and the alteration of the minimum age requirement for Presidential and Vice Presidential candidates by the MK in 2023 remind us that Gibran's path to the 2024 presidential election is fraught with challenges.

The ethical scandal in the MK is even referred to as a black mark in the history of elections in our country.

The reputation of the MK at that time plummeted. The MK was accused of being 'the Court for Nephews' since Anwar Usman (Gibran's uncle) was leading the MK. As a result, some critical parties (legal experts and the media) referred to Gibran as the 'illegitimate child' of the constitution.

Joko Widodo, the president at that time, did not heed the criticisms and suggestions from some who elected him in 2014. Instead of rejecting Gibran's candidacy as vice president, Jokowi moved forward.