JAKARTA, Indonesia – Indonesia’s Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka handed his resignation to parliament’s upper house on Thursday, November 12, ending days of speculation about his political future, while his father, former President Joko Widodo, voiced support for current leader Prabowo Subianto.
The expression of support after the departure of Gibran, Indonesia’s highest-profile resignation since that of President Suharto in 1998, could ease signs of strain in the political alliance of Prabowo and predecessor Widodo.
“We will continue to support President Prabowo’s administration, especially programmes that serve the interests of the broader public,” the highly popular Widodo, known as Jokowi, told reporters outside his home in Solo in central Java.
Gibran’s resignation follows scrutiny over Prabowo’s signature political programs and doubts about the government’s ability to manage Southeast Asia’s biggest economy, where the political turmoil has sapped investor sentiment.
The rupiah weakened as much as 0.6% on Thursday to a fresh record low of 18,255 against the dollar.
Flanked by Gibran and parliamentarians, Prabowo said on Thursday he had accepted his deputy’s resignation with a “heavy heart” and praised Gibran’s contributions to the government.
“I felt assisted. He did his job well,” Prabowo said in a speech, citing Gibran’s work across Indonesian regions and his former deputy’s “chivalrous attitude.”
Gibran bowed and hugged Prabowo after the speech.
