Denny Indrayana and Others File Lawsuit Against Gibran's Educational Qualifications at Constitutional Court

Former Deputy Minister of Law and Human Rights, Denny Indrayana, along with 11 other petitioners, has filed a lawsuit regarding the results of the 2024 Presidential and Vice-Presidential Election (PHPU) with the Constitutional Court (MK). Denny is requesting the Court to disqualify the candidacy of Gibran Rakabuming Raka, arguing that he failed to meet the required educational qualifications for the Vice Presidency.

The application was submitted on 10 September 202gsub and officially registered by the Constitutional Court on 17 September 2026, under case number 01/PHPU.PRES-XXIV/2026. The preliminary examination hearing for this petition was held at the Constitutional Court on Monday evening, 21 September 2026.

The respondents in this lawsuit are the General Elections Commission (KPU) of Indonesia, with the General Elections Supervisory Agency (Bawaslu) acting as a related party. There are 12 petitioners in this lawsuit, including Brahma Aryana, Ansufri ID Sambo, Denny Indrayana, and others.

The petitioners allege they have found initial indications and evidence that the deficiency in Gibran Rakabuming Raka’s educational requirement—specifically the minimum requirement of senior high school (SLTA) or equivalent—is not merely administrative but shows signs of structured, systematic, and planned manipulation. The petitioners pointed to a sudden change in norms within KPU Regulation Number 19 of 2023, specifically Article 18, paragraph (3), which excludes the requirement for proof of high school graduation for candidates who attended school abroad.

The petitioners also allege that an equivalence certificate was issued by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology (Kemendikbud) with suspicious speed, taking less than 24 hours on 6 August 2019. They claim that, as of this petition, the underlying graduation documents have yet to be proven.

“Inauguration does not eliminate such administrative and manipulative flaws in candidacy. Legal flaws constitute electoral fraud, which carries the consequence of strict sanctions in the form of disqualification,” stated Denny Indrayana.

The petitioners are proposing the use of ‘disqualification’ rather than ‘removal from office’ or ‘impeachment’ in this petition. They argue that the Court has the authority to examine this case because the issue concerns flawed and manipulative administrative candidacy requirements.

“Therefore, the process of removal should be cancellation or disqualification, not removal from office. The earlier forum is the electoral judicial institution, namely the Court, whereas the latter would naturally be the impeachment forum,” Denny explained.

The petitioners further argue that Gibran’s certificate was never accompanied by diplomas or certificates as regulated by the Ministry of Education and Culture Regulation Number 29 of 2014. They highlighted that the norm in Article 18, paragraph (3) of KPU Regulation Number 19 of 2023 only appeared during the 2024 Presidential Election.

“Why is it called manipulative? Because the proof of graduation… stated that proof of graduation is excluded for presidential or vice-presidential candidates who do not have proof of high school graduation from foreign schools abroad but possess proof of university graduation,” Denny said. He added that such a norm did not exist in the 2009, 2014, or 2019 elections.

The petitioners contend that having a higher education degree and an equivalence certificate does not inherently satisfy the requirement for high school graduation. They cited previous Constitutional Court decisions, such as cases in Pesawaran and South Nias, where candidates with Master’s degrees were disqualified because they could not produce proof of their high school graduation.

The petitioners noted that the Administrative Court (PTUN) had previously affirmed the Constitutional Court’s authority regarding this matter as it pertains to the Presidential Election. They also noted that no previous lawsuits had been filed by the 01 or 03 candidate pairs regarding Gibran’s educational qualifications.

The petitioners believe the alleged failure to meet educational requirements only recently came to light and was allegedly suppressed. They stated that if the trial proves Gibran met the requirements, the Court should affirm the validity of his candidacy; however, if the evidence shows otherwise, the Court must impose disqualification.

“The petitioners are merely requesting a fair opportunity so that the legal truth regarding the fulfillment of Gibran Rakabuming Raka’s educational requirements… can be tested through an open, impartial, transparent, and accountable evidentiary trial,” he pleaded.