Adi Sasono resigns from ICMI

Adi Sasono resigns from ICMI

PONTIANAK, West Kalimantan: Adi Sasono announced on Sunday his resignation as chairman of the Association of Indonesian Muslim Intellectuals (ICMI) to enter politics in preparation for the 2004 general election.

"I would like to say goodbye ... I want to dedicate myself to public policy affairs ... in politics," he said at the closing ceremony of the ICMI national conference in Pontianak, the capital of West Kalimantan, here on Sunday.

Muslimin Nasution is to replace him as ICMI chairman temporarily.

Adi, also former chairman of the People's Sovereignty Party (PDR) and nominated by the Republic Party said that he had established a new political party, Merdeka Party, to compete with others for the presidency in the 2004 general election.

"It's not proper to hold a post as party chairman, while at the same time, to be ICMI chairman," he said.

However, he said that he would submit his accountability report as ICMI chairman in 2005. -- Antara