Marsilam temporarily fills Ryaas' post

Marsilam temporarily fills Ryaas' post

JAKARTA (JP): President Abdurrahman Wahid named on Monday Cabinet Secretary Marsilam Simanjuntak the acting administrative reform minister replacing Ryaas Rasyid who unilaterally declared his resignation last week.

Speaking to reporters at Merdeka Palace, Marsilam said the President's decision was only temporary and no one has so far been appointed to take over from Ryaas.

"This is only a temporary decision to fill the position left vacant (by Ryaas)," Marsilam said, adding that his new duty was based on a presidential decree signed by Abdurrahman on Monday.

Marsilam did not explain, however, why Abdurrahman, who accepted Ryaas' resignation on Friday evening, has not appointed anyone to permanently replace Ryaas.

Ryaas declared his resignation on Friday since Abdurrahman had yet to respond to the former's resignation letter personally delivered to the President on Jan. 2.

Ryaas, who quit the Cabinet largely in protest of the President's policy on the implementation of regional autonomy, has said earlier he would return to the Institute of Administrative Science and seek permission to undertake research overseas to write a book on reform in Indonesia. (byg)