Indonesia's vice president Gibran resigns over diploma dispute

Indonesia's Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka resigned on Thursday, submitting his letter to President Prabowo Subianto and to parliament after court rulings cast doubt on the education documents he used to qualify for the job.

The speaker of the People's Consultative Assembly, the body that formally elects a vice president, announced the resignation to reporters. Hours later, at a press conference at the Presidential Palace with Gibran at his side, Prabowo said he had accepted it "with a heavy heart".

Gibran, 39, is the eldest son of former president Joko Widodo, whom Prabowo succeeded. He leaves office two years into a five-year term.

The Constitutional Court and the Supreme Court ruled last month that documents Gibran submitted about his overseas education did not meet election requirements, according to Al Jazeera. His critics say he never obtained a high school diploma.

On Wednesday, 120 lawmakers from eight parties petitioned the leaders of the House of Representatives, opening a process that could end in his removal. Under Indonesian law the House leadership must form a special committee to examine whether Gibran violated the constitution by serving without meeting the requirements. If the committee finds sufficient basis, the House must ask the Constitutional Court to rule on the alleged violation.

Widodo, speaking to reporters in his home town of Solo, said he had reminded his son that political office is temporary, and that the family would keep supporting Prabowo's government, "especially programmes that serve the interests of the broader public".

The resignation leaves the vice presidency vacant. A vacancy does not trigger a new election: the People's Consultative Assembly chooses a replacement from two candidates nominated by the president within 60 days. The vice president has few powers beyond representing the president at official events and taking over if the president is incapacitated.

Gibran first offered to step down on Tuesday, saying he wanted to avoid a drawn-out controversy, Al Jazeera reported. A cabinet minister said at the time that Prabowo had urged him to defend himself instead, and it was not clear then whether the offer had been accepted.

The departure comes during weeks of street protests over prices, corruption, what demonstrators call authoritarian rule, and the government's handling of wildfires whose smoke has made thousands of people ill. Senior police officials are also under investigation over the alleged wiretapping of the president, a case Al Jazeera reported appears unrelated to the credentials inquiry.