Ryaas quits Cabinet after no response from President<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): After receiving no response from embattled
\nPresident Abdurrahman Wahid for a month, State Minister of
\nAdministrative Reforms Ryaas Rasyid unilaterally declared his
\nresignation from the cabinet as of Friday.<\/p>\n
\"As of today, I declare my resignation from the cabinet, and
\nmy job as minister of administrative reform will no longer be
\neffective,\" he told reporters at his office.<\/p>\n
He said he made the declaration because the President has yet
\nto respond to the letter of resignation he personally delivered
\non Jan. 2.<\/p>\n
Ryaas quit the cabinet in protest of the President's policy,
\nespecially on the implementation of regional autonomy.<\/p>\n
He also said he sent on Friday a second letter to the
\nPresident and had received confirmation from Bambang Kesowo,
\nsecretary to Vice President Megawati Soekarnoputri, that the
\nletter had been received.<\/p>\n
\"I have been waiting for a month but no response was given.
\nIt's possible that the President is too busy and has no time to
\nhandle this matter, or maybe it's too small a matter for him to
\ntackle,\" he said.<\/p>\n
When the President met Ryaas last month he said that he would
\nnot respond to Ryaas' resignation until he had discussed the
\nmatter with Megawati.<\/p>\n
Ryaas said he sent the second letter at the suggestion of the
\nVice President whom he met on Thursday.<\/p>\n
\"That is why I wrote the second letter and sent it today,\" he
\nsaid, adding that Megawati supported his resignation from the
\ncabinet.<\/p>\n
Ryaas said however he would still help coordinate matters with
\nsenior officials in the office of minister of administrative
\nreform until the President appoints his successor.<\/p>\n
He said he would go back to the Institute of Administrative
\nScience and seek permission to undertake research for six months
\nor a year overseas to write a book on reform in Indonesia.<\/p>\n
\"Despite my resignation, I will not oppose the government,\" he
\nsaid. (rms)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/ryaas-quits-cabinet-after-no-response-from-president-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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