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