JAKARTA, Indonesia — Indonesian Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka submitted his resignation to parliament’s upper house on Thursday, bringing an end to days of intense speculation regarding his political future. His departure marks the country’s most high-profile political resignation since President Suharto stepped down in 1998.
Standing alongside Gibran and members of parliament at the presidential palace in Jakarta, President Prabowo Subianto announced that he had accepted his deputy’s resignation.
“I felt assisted. He did his job well,” Prabowo said in a speech, praising Gibran’s regional outreach and his “chivalrous attitude.”
Following the address, Gibran bowed to Prabowo, embraced him, and departed the palace without making a public statement.
Minutes prior, Gibran had arrived in Jakarta to meet with parliamentary leaders, handing over a five-paragraph resignation letter.
Ahmad Muzani, the speaker of the upper house, read excerpts to reporters, noting that Gibran made the choice “through my own volition … for the interests of the government and nation.” Senior law minister Yusril Ihza Mahendra added that Gibran stepped down for personal reasons amid “growing public sentiment.”
The political shift follows a period of perceived strain between Prabowo and his predecessor, former President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo—Gibran’s father—whose backing was instrumental in Prabowo’s rise to power.
Analysts suggested that a widening rift between the two leaders threatened to further destabilize the administration, which is currently navigating economic pressures, weakening investor sentiment, and a depreciation of the rupiah.
However, following Gibran’s departure, Jokowi moved to reassure the public of his continued backing for the current leadership.
Speaking to reporters outside his home in Solo, Central Java, Jokowi stated:
”We will continue to support President Prabowo’s administration, especially programmes that serve the interests of the broader public.”