Pressure over Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka’s education records was the backdrop to his offer to step down in a Tuesday meeting with President Prabowo Subianto, officials said.
State Secretariat Minister Prasetyo Hadi said the meeting lasted more than two hours. Hadi said Prabowo advised Raka to address the matter through legal channels. He said it was not immediately clear whether Prabowo had accepted the offer.
Raka, 39, later told reporters he respected public criticism and wanted to avoid an extended political controversy. He is the son of former President Joko Widodo, who backed Prabowo's presidential campaign after Prabowo selected Raka as his running mate, the Associated Press reported. The news agency also described a widening political rift between Prabowo and Widodo.
AP said the eligibility controversy intensified last month following a Supreme Court decision on Raka's overseas education records. The court found that the documents did not meet election requirements, and some lawmakers called for his impeachment, AP reported.
Separately, AP reported that the resignation offer appeared unconnected to an investigation into allegations that senior police officials were involved in a wiretap targeting the president.
