Gibran's exit leaves Prabowo a delicate succession choice, ABC reports

Political scholar Vedi Hadiz says replacing Indonesia's vice-president could weaken Jokowi's influence while exposing rivalries within the ruling coalition.

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Indonesian VP Gibran quits, threatening President Prabowo's coalition | The World | ABC News

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0:12Hadiz says parliamentary impeachment moves and public protests pushed Gibran towards resignation.
1:04He argues that Gibran's exit helps Prabowo weaken Jokowi's political networks.
2:13Choosing a replacement presents competing demands from parties within Prabowo's ruling coalition.
3:38Possible choices include a coalition-party figure, Puan Maharani or a technocrat without an independent political base.
7:04Hadiz says cabinet changes, coalition expectations and economic pressures complicate Prabowo's efforts to advance his agenda.

Gibran Rakabuming Raka has resigned as Indonesia's vice-president, leaving President Prabowo Subianto to choose a replacement without unsettling the parties supporting his government, Australia's public broadcaster, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, reports.

Gibran is the son of former president Joko Widodo, widely known as Jokowi. His departure threatens the alliance between the two political families that brought Prabowo and Gibran into office together in 2024.

The report says Gibran had faced weeks of pressure following court rulings over his educational qualifications. Speaking to presenter Girish Sawlani on The World, University of Melbourne professor Vedi Hadiz says public protests and parliamentary moves towards impeachment made resignation the preferable option for Gibran.

Hadiz sees the departure as more than a vacancy. In his analysis, it allows Prabowo to further neutralise the political networks associated with Jokowi, under whom Prabowo previously served as defence minister. He describes the former president as increasingly on the defensive.

But consolidating authority creates another problem: who gets the vice-presidency? Hadiz outlines several possibilities, rather than naming a confirmed successor. Prabowo could choose someone from another party within his coalition, bringing that party closer while potentially frustrating others.

Another option, he says, is Puan Maharani of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle, or PDI-P. She is the daughter of former president Megawati Sukarnoputri. Alternatively, Prabowo could select a technocrat, such as a lawyer or economist, without an independent political base.

Hadiz places those choices alongside recent cabinet reshuffles and economic pressures. His central point is that reducing Jokowi's influence does not remove Prabowo's need to negotiate: the president still has to manage competing coalition demands to preserve his governing agenda.