JustUpdateOnline.com – JAKARTA, A significant political movement is brewing in Indonesia as 120 members of the House of Representatives (DPR) officially launched a proposal on Wednesday to initiate the Right to Express an Opinion (HMP) against Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka. This legislative move could serve as the first step toward a formal impeachment process.
The group of lawmakers, representing eight different political factions, submitted the proposal following intense public debate regarding the validity of Gibran’s academic credentials. The number of signatories has already far surpassed the minimum legal requirement of 25 members needed to trigger the process.
A breakdown of the support shows the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) leading with 28 signatures, followed by the NasDem Party with 19. Both the National Awakening Party (PKB) and the Democratic Party provided 18 signatures each, while the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) added 14. Additionally, 11 members from both Golkar and Gerindra, along with one representative from the National Mandate Party (PAN), joined the initiative.
Gibran, the son of former President Joko Widodo, has come under heavy scrutiny following recent judicial reviews. Last month, both the Constitutional Court and the Supreme Court issued rulings suggesting that his educational documentation did not align with the mandatory requirements for electoral candidates.
This legal friction arrives during a period of perceived political cooling between the current administration under President Prabowo Subianto and his predecessor, Joko Widodo. Reports suggest that Gibran had previously expressed a willingness to step down during a private discussion with Prabowo earlier this week.
Muhammad Khozin, a legislator from the PKB faction, explained that the lawmakers are exercising their constitutional authority as outlined in Article 20A of the 1945 Constitution and Law No. 17 of 2014. Khozin remarked that this inquiry is aimed at investigating allegations of misconduct or the possibility that the Vice President no longer fulfills the criteria necessary to hold office.
The formal petition was accepted by DPR Deputy Speakers Saan Mustopa and Cucun Ahmad Syamsurizal. The next phase involves the Deliberative Committee (Bamus), which will schedule a plenary session to read the proposal before the entire assembly.
While the proposal has gained significant initial momentum, it faces a steep legislative climb. To officially become the stance of the DPR, it must be approved during a plenary session attended by at least two-thirds of the House members. If successful, the case would then move to the Constitutional Court for legal verification before the People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR) makes a final determination on his removal.
Sana Jaffrey, a scholar at the Australian National University, noted that such a bold move by the legislature likely has the tacit approval of the current President. She suggested that President Prabowo’s lack of intervention might indicate a desire to see Gibran sidelined without directly alienating the political base of the former president.
Adding to the tension, Syahganda Nainggolan, head of the Government Communication Agency (Bakom), recently dismissed claims made by Gibran regarding the President’s support. Nainggolan clarified that President Prabowo did not provide a recommendation for the Vice President to pursue further legal battles regarding his certificates in the Administrative Court (PTUN), effectively distancing the palace from Gibran’s legal defense strategy.
