Indonesian parties weigh parliamentary inquiry into vice president's education credentials

JAKARTA: Several Indonesian political parties are considering a parliamentary inquiry into the validity of Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka's diploma as a rift intensifies between President Prabowo Subianto and his predecessor Joko Widodo, Gibran's father.

The proposal emerged after the Constitutional Court and the Supreme Court ruled that Gibran's foreign senior high school credentials did not meet domestic legal requirements for vice-presidential candidates and had been improperly accepted by election officials.

It also followed the arrest of Prabowo's former chief of staff, Listyo Sigit Prabowo, in a wiretapping scandal that the government said could amount to treason. Listyo, also a former national police chief, was known as a Widodo loyalist.

Seven of the eight parties in parliament have joined Prabowo's coalition, giving him a majority. Neither Jokowi nor Gibran has a party represented in parliament.

Three parties within Prabowo's camp and one outside the coalition said they were currently considering three legislative courses of action, officials said.

Under the Constitution, lawmakers can seek an explanation from the government, launch an inquiry or investigation, or formally express their position on alleged legal or constitutional violations.

Each option can be an initial step towards impeachment proceedings. None of the parties involved mentioned the prospect of impeachment.

"We are currently reviewing these options and also communicating with other political parties," said Muhammad Kholid, a senior official of the Prosperous Justice Party.

Most parties have reached a consensus that the two court rulings must be followed up by the parliament, he told Reuters.

Another party within Prabowo's camp, the National Awakening Party, is "seriously" considering the three options, said party official Muhammad Khozin in a statement.

Golkar Party lawmaker Ahmad Doli Kurnia said formally expressing their position would be the most relevant response to the courts' rulings, local media reported. Golkar, another party in Prabowo's coalition, has the second largest number of seats in parliament.

The vice president's office did not respond to a request for comment.

The only party outside Prabowo's coalition, the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle, said recent public dissatisfaction stemming from Gibran's diploma, as well as the wiretapping cases, has prompted lawmakers to take action.

"There's increasingly intensive dialogue in the parliament to invoke their constitutional rights, especially after the wiretapping," said the party's top official, Hasto Kristiyanto.