Jakarta, ThedailyID — Indonesia’s Constitutional Court (MK) has completed its ruling on a dispute over the 2024 presidential election results involving Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka.
The court said the petitioners lacked legal standing to file the case. It also ruled that it could not disqualify Gibran from his position as vice president.
However, the court said it found no document proving that Gibran held a diploma, certificate or equivalent document showing completion of high school-level education abroad.
Constitutional Justice Arsul Sani said Gibran had applied for recognition of his overseas education through the government’s e-service system.
The process requires documents such as a diploma, certificate or other proof showing that an applicant has completed the relevant education level.
“However, after examining all evidence submitted by the parties, the Court did not find a document showing that Gibran Rakabuming Raka had a diploma, certificate or equivalent document proving completion of education abroad equivalent to senior high school,” Arsul said during the ruling, as quoted on Wednesday, October 7.
The court also examined Gibran’s Certificate of Attendance and other academic documents. According to Arsul, those documents only showed attendance and academic information, rather than proof that he had completed his education.
“Said Certificate of Attendance and other documents used as the basis for issuing the certificate do not explain the completion of a particular level of education,” Arsul said.
Despite that finding, the court said Gibran could not be disqualified because he is no longer a vice presidential candidate. His status as a candidate ended when he was inaugurated and sworn in as vice president on October 20, 2024.
Constitutional Justice Adies Kadir said the issue therefore no longer fell under the legal framework for presidential election-result disputes.
The court instead referred the issue concerning the absence of proof of a high school-equivalent diploma to other institutions with authority under the 1945 Constitution.
Meanwhile, Constitutional Justice Liliek P. Adi said the petitioners included a civil society organization, a political party and individual citizens. Under the Constitutional Court Law and the court’s procedural rules, however, only presidential and vice presidential candidates can file a presidential election-result dispute.
“Therefore, the petitioners do not have legal standing to file this case,” Liliek said.
The court also ruled that the related party, Perkumpulan Militan Gibran 08 Nusantara, lacked legal standing.
As a result, the Constitutional Court accepted the respondent’s objection concerning legal standing and declared that the petitioners’ application was inadmissible.
