At Indonesia's Constitutional Court Hearing, Education Official Says No Diploma Was Submitted in Vice President's Equivalency Assessment
JAKARTA — Hearings at Indonesia's Constitutional Court in a case seeking to annul Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka's election win took a striking turn on October 2. Education ministry official Taufiq Damarjati told the court that the ministry's equivalency assessment was based on Gibran's overall educational history, while acknowledging that no diploma was submitted during the application process, according to court transcripts.
The petition was filed last month by plaintiffs led by a former Indonesian deputy law minister. They argue that Gibran's overseas education credentials did not satisfy Indonesian eligibility requirements for vice-presidential candidates and were improperly accepted by election authorities. Election law requires presidential and vice-presidential candidates to have completed senior high school or an equivalent level of education. Gibran, 39, is the eldest son of former President Joko Widodo and won office in 2024 as Prabowo Subianto's running mate.
Gibran attended Orchid Park Secondary School in Singapore and later studied at UTS Insearch in Australia, before obtaining a bachelor's degree through the Management Development Institute of Singapore (MDIS). The challenge hinges on whether his overseas studies met the legal requirements and whether election officials were justified in relying on government-issued equivalency certificates to support his candidacy. The court's nine judges have held several hearings with experts, diplomatic attaches and education ministry officials, and a verdict was scheduled for late on Tuesday, October 6, according to the court's website.
The case unfolds against a shifting political backdrop. Local media have reported that Prabowo has replaced several senior officials, including the national police chief and the coordinating minister for human development and culture — moves widely seen as reflecting strains in his relationship with Widodo. A controversial 2023 Constitutional Court ruling exempted Gibran from age restrictions and paved the way for his candidacy, sparking protests and criticism from students, activists and legal scholars at the time.
Sources: Compiled from Reuters reporting (including the October 2 hearing record) and the same report carried by Devdiscourse.
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 雅加达的印尼宪法法院大楼，Christophe95 摄，CC BY-SA 4.0（Wikimedia Commons）
