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Indonesia's VP offers resignation as questions mount over his eligibility

By · Via NPR · Published by Everything Blog

In short

Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka tendered his resignation during a Tuesday conference with President Prabowo Subianto following a court verdict on his academic documents. While Prabowo advised his deputy to pursue legal avenues to defend his credentials, it remains unconfirmed whether the head of state formally accepted the departure. Lawmakers continue pushing for impeachment proceedings as friction escalates between Prabowo and the vice president's father, former President Joko Widodo. Authorities stated the controversy remains distinct from an active wiretapping inquiry implicating several senior police figures.

Key points

  • The vice president expressed a desire to avoid prolonged controversy after lawmakers urge…: The vice president expressed a desire to avoid prolonged controversy after lawmakers urged his impeachment over the ruling.
  • Mounting tensions over the credentials dispute reflect a broader political rift between P…: Mounting tensions over the credentials dispute reflect a broader political rift between President Prabowo and predecessor Joko Widodo.
  • Officials confirmed that neither Raka nor Widodo is implicated in the ongoing police wire…: Officials confirmed that neither Raka nor Widodo is implicated in the ongoing police wiretapping probe.

Sources checked by our analysis pipeline: 1

JAKARTA, Indonesia — Indonesia's vice president offered to resign during a meeting with President Prabowo Subianto on Tuesday, according to officials, adding to the turmoil at the highest levels of the country's leadership.

Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka, the 39-year-old son of former President Joko Widodo, held over two hours of talks with Prabowo, according to State Secretariat Minister Prasetyo Hadi.

It was not immediately clear whether Prabowo accepted the resignation, Hadi told reporters at a news conference at the presidential palace. The president advised Raka to "continue pursuing legal avenues to defend the validity of his academic documents," Hadi said.

As he left his office later in the day, Raka made a brief statement to reporters without addressing the resignation offer.

"I respect all criticism and feedback from the public regarding the developments that are taking place," Raka said. "I do not want the current situation to become a prolonged political controversy."

The resignation offer comes amid growing pressure on Raka over a court dispute involving his academic credentials. It was apparently not related to an ongoing probe into…

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