Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka

Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka hasn't even been in office for a year, but his position is already being shaken. Not by the opposition, but by a number of retired TNI (Indonesian National Armed Forces) officers. They filed a petition urging Gibran's replacement, arguing that the Constitutional Court's ruling on Article 169, Letter Q, of the Election Law violates the Constitutional Court's procedural law and the law on judicial power.

Suggestions are fine. However, there's a more pressing issue. Replacing the vice president isn't as simple as forming an opinion. In fact, Gibran is considered legally eligible to run in the presidential election as Prabowo Subianto's running mate. In a presidential democracy, the president and vice president are elected as a package. They cannot be removed simply by political pressure or subjective perception.

Let's look at Article 7B paragraph (1) of the 1945 Constitution:

"A proposal to dismiss the President and/or Vice President may be submitted by the House of Representatives (DPR) to the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) only after first submitting a request to the Constitutional Court to examine, adjudicate, and decide on the DPR's opinion that the President and/or Vice President have committed a violation of the law..."

The type of legal violation in question is no trivial matter. These include treason, corruption, bribery, changing citizenship, permanent impediment, and even misconduct.

This means that the impeachment procedure is very strict and multi-layered. Public opinion or disapproval, especially from the political elite, is not sufficient. The House of Representatives (DPR) must propose, the Constitutional Court must rule, and only then can the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) ratify.

Prof. Denny Indrayana, a constitutional law expert, emphasized that the proposal to replace the vice president mid-term is unconstitutional. He noted that the presidential system does not recognize a mechanism for unilaterally removing the vice president.

Similarly, political observer Boni Hargens called the push for replacement a form of legal logic confusion. "If you want to replace the vice president, wait until 2029. Don't change the constitution arbitrarily," he said.

Prominent figures in the Indonesian National Armed Forces Retired Forum also signed the petition. These included retired General Try Sutrisno, retired General H. Fachrul Razi, retired Admiral Slamet Soebijanto, and retired General. Tyasno Sudarto, and Retired Air Marshal Hanafie Asnan. They voiced national concerns and pushed for the replacement of the vice president.

However, the stance of those in power was more cautious. President Prabowo Subianto responded through Retired General Wiranto, who serves as the President's Special Advisor for Political and Security Affairs. "We listen to all input," he said. He called the pressure part of public participation. Defense Minister Sjafrie Sjamsuddin also adopted a similar tone.

The Golkar Party, the party supporting Gibran Rakabuming Raka, responded immediately. Golkar Central Executive Board Chairman Dave Laksono stated that the vice president had been legitimately elected by the people. "Don't disturb us with baseless discourse," he said.

The legal and political facts are clear. The president and vice president are a single political entity. There is no legal loophole to replace one of them simply because of elite pressure or survey results.

Unfortunately, in this issue, we are seeing worrying symptoms. Many elites talk about the constitution, but don't read it in its entirety. The law seems to be being manipulated to suit political desires.

If this kind of discourse is accepted, the constitution loses its meaning. Any public official can be removed simply by the vote of the elite, not the will of the people. Democracy becomes a power struggle.

Criticism of Gibran Rakabuming Raka is permissible. Questioning his capacity is also legitimate in a democracy. However, he was elected alongside Prabowo in a legitimate election. If Gibran can be removed today because of opinion, then Prabowo could be swayed tomorrow using the same logic.

We must also be wary of why the petition by retired officers, created in February, only gained traction two months later.