Constitutionally Elected by the People, Discourse on Impeaching Vice President Gibran is Irrelevant
JAKARTA – Director of the Indonesian Voters Institute (LPI), Boni Hargens, regretted the push from several community groups to impeach Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka. He emphasized that the move had no legal basis and was full of political sentiment.
“Everyone must acknowledge that they have equal rights, equal status and equal obligations. Must follow the rules of the constitution and do not let it happen because of dislike, personal or political sentiment, then behave unfairly by pushing for impeachment,” said Boni,
According to Boni, there are at least four strong reasons to reject the discourse on Gibran’s impeachment. First, the discourse is unconstitutional.
“If there were problems from the start, the election should have been boycotted, not the results,” he stressed.
Second, he explained that the president and vice president are one unit in the Indonesian election system and cannot be removed only one of them unless it violates Article 7A of the 1945 Constitution.
“If impeachment occurs without any legally binding violations, it will set a bad precedent for future political developments,” he added.
Third, he considered that this step could disrupt the stability of the government.
“Without a permanent legal decision, then there are sanctions or punishments, this is the same as the absence of law,” said Boni.
Fourth, he reminded that the vice presidential replacement candidate does not necessarily support democracy.
“It could be a figure who will complicate the development of democracy, such as oligarchy and so on,” he said.
Likewise, Golkar Party Secretary General Sarmuji also emphasized that Gibran was elected legally through the Presidential Election and Constitutional Court mechanisms.
“Vice President Gibran was elected constitutionally through the presidential election and the Constitutional Court. Up to now, Vice President Gibran has not committed any violations that could result in impeachment,” said Sarmuji.
He also invited the public to unite to advance Indonesia and reject provocative narratives that could divide the nation.
“The nation’s energy should be focused on building so that Indonesia is more advanced. Not things that can trigger endless disputes,” he concluded.*
