TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - In a surprising move, the previously quiet Forum of Retired Indonesian Military (TNI) Members has formally requested the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) to replace Gibran Rakabuming Raka as Vice President.
"We propose the replacement of the Vice President to the MPR because the Constitutional Court's decision on Article 169 letter q of the Election Law violated both MK procedural law and the Judicial Power Law," stated one of their eight demands.
This statement was part of a document signed by 103 generals, 73 admirals, 65 air marshals, and 91 colonels. Major General (Ret) Sunarko read the document at a gathering of retired TNI personnel and community figures in Jakarta on April 17, 2025.
Signatories of the document included prominent figures such as General (Ret) Fachrul Razi, General (Ret) Tyasno Soedarto, Admiral (Ret) Slamet Soebijanto, and Air Marshal (Ret) Hanafie Asnan. The proposal was also acknowledged by General (Ret) Try Sutrisno, who served as Vice President from 1993 to 1998.
The retired members' contention that "the Constitutional Court's decision on Article 169 letter q of the Election Law has violated MK procedural law and the Judiciary Power Law" refers to the court's ruling upholding the requirement that presidential and vice-presidential candidates must be at least 40 years old or have experience as a regional head.
The lawsuit, case number 90/PUU-XXI/2023, was filed by Almas Tsaqibbirru, a student from Surakarta University, and the Constitutional Court delivered its decision on October 16, 2023.
This ruling allowed Gibran, who was under 40 at the time, to run as the vice-presidential candidate alongside Prabowo Subianto.
Of the nine justices presiding over the case, two, Enny Nurbaningsih and Daniel Yusmic, issued concurring opinions with different reasoning. Conversely, four justices—Saldi Isra, Arief Hidayat, Wahiduddin Adams, and Suhartoyo—dissented.
The Constitutional Court's decision subsequently faced scrutiny from the Constitutional Court Honorary Council (MKMK) due to a suspected conflict of interest. Anwar Usman, the Chair of the Constitutional Court, is Gibran's uncle and President Jokowi's brother-in-law.
The MKMK concluded that Chair Anwar Usman had committed a serious breach of the judicial code of ethics and conduct. Consequently, the MKMK imposed the sanction of dismissal from his position as Chair, as outlined in Decision Number 2/MKMK/L/11/2023, announced by MKMK Chair Jimly Asshiddiqie on Tuesday, November 7, 2023, in Jakarta.
However, the MKMK clarified that it lacked the authority to overturn the Constitutional Court's decision regarding the minimum age limit for presidential and vice-presidential candidates, as its mandate is limited to adjudicating ethical violations.
"MKMK has no authority to make legal judgments on the Constitutional Court's decision, especially to question its validity or invalidity," stated Wahiduddin Adams while reading the MKMK's decision at the Constitutional Court building in Jakarta on Tuesday, November 7, 2023.
Responses from Prabowo and MPR
Presidential Special Advisor for Politics and Security, General (Ret) Wiranto, indicated that President Prabowo Subianto understands the eight demands presented by the Forum of Retired TNI Members, including the call for Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka's replacement.
Wiranto explained that Prabowo understands the concerns of the retired TNI members due to their shared military background. However, he emphasized that Prabowo cannot immediately respond to these demands, as they involve fundamental issues requiring careful consideration.
"Because they are not light issues, very fundamental issues," Wiranto stated at the Presidential Office in Central Jakarta on Thursday, April 24, 2025.
Furthermore, Wiranto noted that Prabowo's authority as president is limited by Indonesia's adherence to the Trias Politika system, which separates the judicial, executive, and legislative branches.
The MPR Speaker Ahmad Muzani affirmed that President Prabowo Subianto and Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka are constitutional leaders. This statement was in response to the Forum of Retired TNI Members' demand for Gibran's removal.
Muzani acknowledged that he had not yet thoroughly reviewed the retired members' demands. Nevertheless, he asserted that Prabowo and Gibran formed a presidential and vice-presidential team elected through the 2024 presidential election process and subsequently inaugurated.
Ananda Ridho Sulistya, Hendrik Yaputra, and Ervana Trikarinaputri contributed to the writing of this article
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