Militan 08 Argues Gibran Education Requirements Dispute Is Not MK Jurisdiction
- Denny Indrayana and a coalition of petitioners are challenging the validity of Gibran Rakabuming Raka’s educational credentials from the 2024 presidential election before the Constitutional Court (MK) in...
- The constitutional hearings have drawn organized pushback from political groups and election administrators.
- During the Wednesday, September 23, 2026 session at the Constitutional Court in Central Jakarta, the legal team for Militan Gibran argued that the challenge does not fall under...
Denny Indrayana and a coalition of petitioners are challenging the validity of Gibran Rakabuming Raka’s educational credentials from the 2024 presidential election before the Constitutional Court (MK) in Jakarta. The legal challenge, docketed as case number 01/PHPU.PRES-XXIV/2026, questions the administrative validity of the documents confirming Gibran’s completion of education when he ran for vice president, according to filings reviewed by the court.
The constitutional hearings have drawn organized pushback from political groups and election administrators. Perkumpulan Militan Gibran 08 Nusantara formally entered the proceedings as a related party on Monday, September 21, 2026, aiming to defend the vice president against what its leadership characterizes as politically motivated litigation.
During the Wednesday, September 23, 2026 session at the Constitutional Court in Central Jakarta, the legal team for Militan Gibran argued that the challenge does not fall under the court’s constitutional jurisdiction. According to Abdul Aziz Salim, secretary-general of Perkumpulan Militan Gibran, the primary mandate of a presidential election results dispute (PHPU) is to adjudicate vote outcomes rather than technical candidate qualifications.
“Permasalahan yang didalilkan oleh para pemohon mengenai keabsahan syarat pendidikan pasangan calon wakil presiden pada perkara ini, menurut pihak kami, bukanlah kewenangan konstitusional Mahkamah Konstitusi. Perkara PHPU Presiden dan Wakil Presiden sejatinya adalah untuk menyelesaikan perselisihan hasil pemilu,” ujar Abdul when addressing the panel.
“Permasalahan yang didalilkan oleh para pemohon mengenai keabsahan syarat pendidikan pasangan calon wakil presiden pada perkara ini, menurut pihak kami, bukanlah kewenangan konstitusional Mahkamah Konstitusi. Perkara PHPU Presiden dan Wakil Presiden sejatinya adalah untuk menyelesaikan perselisihan hasil pemilu,”Abdul Aziz Salim
Militan Gibran maintains that any grievances regarding candidate requirements should have been raised as election process disputes handled by the Election Supervisory Agency (Bawaslu). Under Article 464 of the Election Law, objections regarding candidacy eligibility must be filed within three days of a General Elections Commission (KPU) decision, a window that closed long ago without challenges from opposing presidential tickets like Anies Baswedan-Muhaimin Iskandar or Ganjar Pranowo-Mahfud Md, as noted by Abdul.
KPU and Bawaslu Positions in the Constitutional Court
The General Elections Commission (KPU) has formally requested that the Constitutional Court reject the petition filed by Denny Indrayana and his co-petitioners. The electoral body defends the administrative steps taken during the candidate vetting phase of the 2024 election cycle.
Meanwhile, the Election Supervisory Agency (Bawaslu) reported procedural hurdles during the preliminary hearings. Bawaslu representatives informed the court that the KPU did not grant them permission to participate directly in certain verification processes concerning the disputed education documents.
The proceedings also featured interventions from the bench. The Chief Justice of the Constitutional Court issued a direct verbal reprimand to enthusiastic volunteer supporters of Gibran sitting in the gallery, instructing them not to overstep courtroom decorum during the arguments.
Political Motives and the Two-Year Anniversary Context
The leadership of Militan Gibran 08 Nusantara frames the legal action as an attempt to destabilize the current administration rather than a genuine administrative correction. Andi Azwan, chairman of the organization, stated outside the courthouse that the lawsuit aims to unseat the vice president after the government has already operated for nearly two years following the October 2024 inauguration.
“Karena ini bukan murni dari apa yang dikatakan dia selama ini, tapi adalah tujuan politik yang sangat kental dan ingin membuat suatu kegaduhan,” ujar Andi Azwan regarding the petition filed by Denny Indrayana and associates.
“Karena ini bukan murni dari apa yang dikatakan dia selama ini, tapi adalah tujuan politik yang sangat kental dan ingin membuat suatu kegaduhan,”Andi Azwan
The petitioners argue that documents certifying Gibran’s educational completion were never properly tested and that his equivalence letter is administratively flawed. They assert that proof of graduation should include primary diplomas, transcripts, or direct school certificates rather than substitute statements.
In response, Militan Gibran’s legal strategy relies on multiple exception points in its petitum. The group asks the court to dismiss the case entirely based on lack of legal standing, expired filing deadlines, lack of constitutional jurisdiction, and the application of the ne bis in idem principle, which prevents the same legal question from being tried repeatedly.
The Constitutional Court continues its examination of the petition under case number 01/PHPU.PRES-XXIV/2026, with further hearings scheduled to weigh the jurisdictional boundaries of election disputes against candidate qualification challenges.