JAKARTA, thekabarnews.com—The Constitutional Court (MK) found that it did not receive convincing evidence of Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka’s foreign qualification equivalent to senior high school, prompting debate. Now, there are questions over his eligibility in future elections.

Former General Elections Commission (KPU) member Putu Artha said the evidentiary gap could create an administrative obstacle if Gibran seeks another elected position.

Indonesian election laws currently require presidential, legislative and regional-head candidates to have completed at least senior secondary education. They also must have a qualification that is considered its equivalent.

“Administratively, if he wants to contest another election, the simplest option would be for the vice president to take the Package C equivalency program,” Putu told Metro TV on Wednesday, Oct. 7.

Putu said another option would be completing a foreign program that authorities could formally recognize as equivalent. This recognition would be for an Indonesian senior high school qualification.

Package C is Indonesia’s nonformal education pathway for obtaining a qualification equivalent to senior high school. Putu’s remarks, however, represent his interpretation of the ruling.

The MK did not prohibit Gibran from contesting a future election. Additionally, election officials would assess his documents under the laws and regulations applicable at the time of registration.

The court declared the petition against Gibran inadmissible on Oct. 6 because the petitioners lacked legal standing to file a presidential election-results dispute.

In its legal reasoning, the court said it found no diploma, certificate or other document in the evidentiary record proving that Gibran had completed foreign education equivalent to senior high school. However, officials had submitted a certificate of attendance, academic records and an explanation of grades to support a 2019 equivalency letter.

The MK ruled that the certificate of attendance was a record of participation in education, not a graduation. But the finding does not prove that Gibran graduated or filed legitimate documents. It just states what the court could not get from the evidence presented in this case.

In the election-results proceeding, the MK also ruled that it could not disqualify Gibran. This was because his status as a vice-presidential candidate ended when he took office on Oct. 20, 2024. The court’s official summary provides the full reasoning.

Constitutional law scholar Feri Amsari described the ruling as a careful attempt to disclose problems in the 2024 election. He noted the court achieved its goal without exceeding its authority.

“This MK [Constitutional Court] ruling is, in my view, ‘smart.’ It reveals the truth without exceeding its authority,” Feri wrote on X on Wednesday.

Feri argued that the House of Representatives (DPR), political parties and other political institutions should follow up on the court’s findings. He also linked the decision to allegations discussed in Dirty Vote, the 2024 documentary in which he appeared.

However, the court did not rule that electoral fraud had occurred. Feri’s characterization of the evidentiary finding as proof of wrongdoing remains his opinion, not part of the judgment.

The immediate legal position is therefore unchanged: Gibran remains vice president, and the court has issued no order affecting his tenure. Any future candidacy would require a new administrative assessment by the relevant election authority. The assessment would be based on the documents submitted and the rules then in force.