JAKARTA — Indonesia's Vice-President Gibran Rakabuming Raka handed his resignation to parliament's upper house, the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR), on Thursday, November 12, ending days of speculation about his political future, Reuters reported. Gibran arrived at parliament in Jakarta and met its leaders for about 20 minutes, handing in his resignation and asking parliament to process it, MPR Speaker Ahmad Muzani said.

Source: Reuters, Nov 12, 2026

Reading from the five-paragraph resignation letter, Muzani quoted Gibran as saying he had made his decision "through my own volition … for the interests of the government and nation." Senior law minister Yusril Ihza Mahendra said Gibran quit for personal reasons and cited "growing public sentiment" in the letter. Muzani also confirmed Gibran had submitted a similar resignation letter to President Prabowo Subianto, and Gibran left the parliamentary complex without making a public statement, according to Indonesia Business Post reporting of Muzani's remarks.

Source: Indonesia Business Post, Nov 12, 2026

Earlier on Thursday, Gibran met Prabowo at the presidential palace before his visit to parliament, House of Representatives Deputy Speaker Sufmi Dasco Ahmad confirmed, Indonesia Business Post reported.

Jokowi backs Prabowo

Minutes before Jokowi's remarks — and shortly after the MPR submission — former President Joko Widodo, Gibran's father, voiced support for Prabowo outside his home in Solo, Central Java. "We will continue to support President Prabowo's administration, especially programmes that serve the interests of the broader public," Widodo, known as Jokowi, told reporters, according to Reuters.

Reuters described Gibran's departure as Indonesia's highest-profile resignation since that of President Suharto in 1998, and said Jokowi's expression of support could soothe signs of strain in the political alliance between Prabowo and his predecessor. The news agency noted the government is battling scandals over signature programmes, that political turmoil has sapped investor sentiment, and that the rupiah weakened about 0.6% to a fresh record low of 18,255 against the US dollar.

Why he quit

The resignation followed a push by lawmakers for Gibran's impeachment on grounds of inadequate educational credentials, and rulings by the Constitutional Court and the Supreme Court that his overseas high-school qualifications fell short of the legal requirements for vice-presidential candidates and had been wrongly accepted by election authorities, Reuters reported. Awaaz Punjab reported on November 10 that Gibran had offered to resign at a meeting with Prabowo, and on November 11 that his aide said the letter had been tendered to the president, with 120 lawmakers from eight factions backing an impeachment-path proposal.

What happens next

Parliamentary leaders will now gather to discuss the next steps, Muzani said. The upper house must hold a session to declare the vice-presidency vacant and write to the president seeking the names of two replacement candidates, Yusril said on Wednesday; an upper house election to choose the successor will follow within 60 days.

In a separate development reported by Reuters on Thursday, police said they had enough initial evidence to pursue treason charges against four suspects over alleged illegal wiretapping of Prabowo, other politicians, activists and journalists — an allegation lawmakers pressed police chief Suyudi Ario Seto to investigate further at a hearing. The wiretapping claims have not been proven in court.