Golkar Legislator: Constitutional Court Ruling Cannot Be Grounds for Impeaching Gibran

Zulfikar Arse Sadikin, a member of the House of Representatives from the Golkar Party faction, said the Constitutional Court (MK) ruling cannot be used as grounds to impeach Vice-President Gibran Rakabuming Raka.

Arse said the court had explicitly rejected the petition seeking to disqualify Gibran. In its reasoning, the MK did not say that Gibran was ineligible; it said only that it had found no convincing evidence that he held a foreign diploma.

“The MK did not declare Gibran ineligible. Therefore, impeachment as provided for under Article 7A of the 1945 Constitution would be difficult,” Arse, known as Zul, said in a written statement on Friday (9 October).

The former deputy chairman of House Commission II explained that the impeachment of a president or vice-president is explicitly governed by Article 7A of the 1945 Constitution.

The article states that a president or vice-president may be impeached if proven to have committed treason, corruption, bribery, another serious criminal offence or disgraceful conduct, or if they no longer meet the requirements for office.

Instead, Arse proposed amending the article concerning education requirements for presidential and vice-presidential candidates. He said the requirements should accommodate overseas education systems.

“The provision requiring at least a senior secondary school education has been in use for more than 20 years for public officials elected through general elections. We need to revise it so that it can adapt,” he said.

The MK delivered its ruling in case No. 01/PHPU.PRES-XXIV/2026, concerning the 2024 presidential and vice-presidential election results dispute, on Tuesday evening (6 October).

The court said it could not accept a petition from Denny Indrayana, which included a request to disqualify Gibran Rakabuming Raka as Indonesia’s vice-president.

The petitioners comprised the Independent Committee for Election Monitoring (KIPP), the Ummat Party, former Deputy Law and Human Rights Minister Denny Indrayana, six members of the Retired TNI Soldiers Forum, M Subhan, Bonatua Silalahi and Tiurma MS Sihombing.

However, based on evidence presented at the hearing, the MK found no document showing that Gibran held a diploma proving he had completed overseas education equivalent to senior secondary school or its equivalent.

The court referred this legal finding to other institutions for follow-up.