Is There a Third Way for Gibran?
As the House of Representatives (DPR) held its plenary session after the recess, members of the public were waiting to see how Parliament would respond to the debate surrounding the academic credentials of Indonesian Vice-President Gibran Rakabuming Raka. The issue was not discussed in the chamber, however, as several procedural steps must first be completed before it can be formally debated.
Dozens of members of the DPR have reportedly gathered support for a right to express an opinion (Hak Menyatakan Pendapat, or HMP). DPR Speaker Puan Maharani said she had received a report on the proposal and would follow it up after the opening of the session.
“We have indeed received the report on the proposed right to express an opinion, but after the opening of this session we will follow up on how it will proceed, who will be involved and what the mechanism will be,” Puan said at a press conference after the plenary session at the DPR in Jakarta on Tuesday (10 November).
On Gibran’s future, some parties say there are only two options: resignation or impeachment. Among those alternatives, several experts have urged Gibran to resign. Titi Anggraini, an election law expert at the University of Indonesia, said resignation was the best course for him at present.
“In the current situation, I think Gibran would be better off resigning,” Titi said on detikSore on Tuesday (10 November).
Later that day, amid calls from people in various circles for him to step down, Gibran appeared before reporters at the Vice-President’s Palace in Jakarta. He said he hoped the controversy would not drag on.
“I respect all the aspirations, criticism and suggestions from the public regarding the current developments. I do not want these developments to become a prolonged political dispute,” Gibran said at the palace in Central Jakarta on Tuesday (10 November 2026).
The eldest son of former president Joko Widodo also acknowledged that he had met President Prabowo Subianto. Gibran said the 150-minute meeting had provided him with a great deal of advice from Prabowo. He also said he had been encouraged to fight the matter through the State Administrative Court (PTUN).
To what extent could Gibran’s efforts in the PTUN offer an alternative route to preserving his political career? The issue is discussed on detikSore with Abdul Fickar Hadjar, a legal expert from Trisakti University.