Civil Alliance Urges House to Issue Inquiry Right Over Gibran's Diploma, Golkar Promises to Discuss

The Civil Collective Alliance (AKSI) is urging Indonesia's House of Representatives (DPR) to immediately use its inquiry right to follow up on the Constitutional Court (MK) ruling on the validity of the high school equivalency diploma of Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka. The demand was delivered directly to several factions in Senayan, Jakarta, on Monday (12/10).

AKSI representative Natanael Bremana conveyed the request to House Commission II member Ahmad Doli Kurnia of the Golkar faction at the Legislation Body room. According to Natanael, the Golkar faction, which holds more than a hundred seats, must dare to take the initiative rather than hide behind the stance of other factions. "We urge the Golkar faction to initiate the House taking a stance to seriously examine the follow-up to the MK ruling by pushing for an inquiry right," he said.

AKSI member and petitioner in the General Election Results Dispute (PHPU) case, Brahma Aryana, stressed that letting this issue drag on will worsen legal uncertainty. He reminded that the House cannot evade its constitutional responsibility when serious doubts arise over the fulfillment of the requirements for the second-highest public office in the republic. "The House's silence is not a choice without consequences," Brahma asserted.

Brahma added that the quality of constitutional democracy is measured not only by state institutions' ability to make decisions, but also by their willingness to answer questions that demand accountability. He called on civil society to keep overseeing this process so that the House acts openly, measurably, and accountably.

Responding to the audience, Ahmad Doli Kurnia said he would forward the aspiration to the faction and party leadership. He acknowledged there had been informal talks to find a way to keep this polemic from dragging on. "Those inputs will be followed up, I will convey them to our leaders in the faction and the party," Doli said.

Besides Golkar, AKSI also visited the central executive board (DPP) office of the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) in South Jakarta on Monday afternoon. PKS spokesperson Rangga Kusumo confirmed the meeting. The alliance is scheduled to meet the National Awakening Party (PKB) faction on Tuesday (13/10).

In the meeting with Golkar, AKSI delivered four demands. First, asking the Golkar faction to immediately state an official stance and initiate an inquiry right or express an opinion in accordance with the MD3 Law. Second, urging all factions not to reduce this issue to a mere technical evaluation of election organizers; summoning the KPU and Bawaslu remains mandatory to investigate alleged negligence and manipulation in the candidacy. Third, asking party chairmen not to hold hostage the constitutional authority of House members. Fourth, urging Gibran to honorably resign from the Vice Presidency or at least stop building a defense in the court of opinion.

"Documents that never appeared in the Court's hearing room cannot be brought later into a press conference room to annul a final and binding ruling. Impeachment is not a verdict, but a forum for proof." — Brahma Aryana, AKSI member.

The issue stems from the MK ruling that rejected a lawsuit over the validity of Gibran's educational requirement in the 2024 Presidential Election. In its consideration, constitutional judge Adies Kadier stated it found no convincing evidence that Gibran holds a high school equivalency diploma. However, the MK stressed that the matter falls within the domain of other institutions authorized under the 1945 Constitution.

Responding to the ruling, Gibran said he respected it and stressed he had pursued higher education in Singapore. "If I hadn't graduated high school, it would be impossible for me to study up to a bachelor's degree," he said in Jakarta on Wednesday (7/10). Meanwhile, 7th President of Indonesia Joko Widodo encouraged all parties to follow the prevailing democratic and constitutional mechanisms. He also touched on differences in education systems between countries, including pathway schemes that allow someone to continue to the undergraduate level.

The push for an inquiry right is a test for the House to show whether the legislative body can respond to public doubts openly, or instead choose to delay. If Golkar and other factions move, the national political stage could heat up ahead of the election year. But if not, public trust in the integrity of state institutions could continue to erode.