Constitutional Court Asserts It Cannot Annul or Disqualify Gibran in Educational Requirement Dispute

The Constitutional Court (MK) has emphasised that it cannot annul or disqualify Gibran Rakabuming Raka from his position as Vice President in the dispute concerning educational requirements for the 2024 General Election.

This decision forms part of the Court’s legal considerations in the dispute over the results of the Presidential and Vice-Presidential Election (PHPU) Number 01/PHPU.PRES-XXIV/2026, filed by former Deputy Minister of Law and Human Rights Denny Indrayana alongside 11 other petitioners. The verdict was delivered at the Constitutional Court Building in Jakarta on Tuesday evening, 6 October 2026.

In its deliberations, the Court stated that it cannot annul or disqualify Gibran Rakabuming Raka from his position as Vice President as requested by the petitioners. “The Court cannot annul or disqualify Gibran Rakabuming Raka from his position as Vice President as requested in the petitioners’ petitum,” the Court’s consideration stated during the reading of the verdict.

The Court further elaborated that the facts uncovered during the trial—concerning the absence of diplomas, certificates, or foreign degrees used as a basis for equivalence to a senior high school education or its equivalent—substantially pertain to the domain of institutions authorised to assess the validity and fulfilment of presidential and vice-presidential candidate requirements. Based on these considerations, the Court does not grant itself the authority to annul or disqualify Gibran as demanded in the case.

The dispute originated from a petition questioning the fulfilment of Gibran’s educational requirements when he registered as a vice-presidential candidate for the 2024 Election. The petitioners challenged the educational documents used in the nomination process, alleging issues regarding foreign educational documents used to satisfy the requirements.

In this case, the petitioners submitted several requests to the Court. One of their primary demands was for the Court to declare that the educational requirements regulated in Article 16 letter r of Law Number 7 of 2017 concerning General Elections are mandatory and must be legally fulfilled at the time candidates register and are officially nominated.