Indonesia’s vice-president resigns, escalating a destabilising feud

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It could pit the country’s army and police against each other | World News

ON PAPER, THE resignation of Indonesia’s vice-president on November 11th was a simple question of eligibility. Indonesia’s electoral law requires that the vice-president possess a secondary-school diploma or its equivalent. Gibran Rakabuming Raka, who was elected in 2024, can do one better: he has a university degree. But on October 30th Indonesia’s Supreme Court ruled that he had got into university without completing high school. In the days that followed, over 120 members of parliament called for his impeachment. Mr Gibran leapt before he was pushed.

In practice, however, there is little that is black and white about the latest trouble in a tumultuous year for Indonesian politics. The vice-president’s resignation comes amid the collapse of a political partnership between President Prabowo Subianto and Mr Gibran’s father, the former president Joko Widodo. The break between the two looks set to plunge Indonesian politics into further uncertainty.

Jokowi, as the former president is known, defeated Mr Prabowo in bitter presidential elections in 2014 and 2019, going on to lead the country for ten years. The two later reconciled, and a term-limited Jokowi offered up his son to serve as Mr Prabowo’s running-mate in the 2024 election. The unity ticket coasted to victory, cheered on by Indonesians happy at last to be offered political stability.

Little of that stability has been on display in recent months, however. As markets and voters turned against Mr Prabowo’s populist economic policies, the condominium between the president and his predecessor has come under strain. A break came on November 3rd, when police arrested Police General Listyo Sigit Prabowo (no relation to the president). Mr Listyo had just stepped down as the country’s top cop. Authorities now allege he had used the force’s wiretapping powers to snoop on Mr Prabowo’s communications.

That might seem a straightforward allegation of abuse of power, but for Mr Listyo’s long and close association with Jokowi.

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Opening of the article, excerpted from Hindustan Times. To read the rest, open the article on the publisher's site.