Lukman Hakim resigns as lawmaker

JAKARTA. Despite the current Cabinet term set to end on Oct. 20, Religious Affairs Minister Lukman Hakim Saifuddin has decided to resign as a lawmaker for the 2014-2019 period, citing responsibility over the organization of the haj as his sole reason.

General Elections Commission (KPU) chairman Husni Kamil Manik said he had received the resignation letter by Lukman, who was appointed minister in June by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to replace United Development Party (PPP) chairman and graft suspect Suryadharma Ali.

“We received the resignation letter on [Tuesday] morning. He said he was resigning because he had the responsibility to manage the implementation of the haj and he wanted to focus on that,” Husni said on Tuesday as quoted by Antara.

He said that the KPU had yet to process Lukman's replacement in the House of Representatives, as it was still waiting for an official letter from the PPP, of which Lukman has been a member since 1994.

Lukman, who previously served as deputy speaker of the People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR) and has had a seat in the House since 1999, stood during April's legislative election in Central Java.

Husni said that according to the Election Law, an elected legislator could not be sworn in if he/she had previously resigned or passed away.

Unlike Lukman, seven other ministers in Yudhoyono's Cabinet who ran for House seats in April, have chosen to leave the Cabinet rather than complete their ministerial tenures.

These ministers are Transportation Minister EE Mangindaan, Forestry Minister Zulkifli Hasan, Disadvantaged Regions Minister Helmi Faizal, Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Jero Wacik, Communications and Information Minister Tifatul Sembiring, Manpower and Transmigration Minister Muhaimin Iskandar and Cooperatives and Small and Medium Enterprises Minister Syariefuddin Hasan.(alz/dic)