Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister and vice presidential candidate Mahfud MD presented his resignation letter to President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo at the Presidential Palace on Thursday, saying he wished to focus on the Feb. 14 election.

“The letter contains three things: my wish to resign from the ministerial post because I’m running in the election, my gratitude to the President for trusting me with the ministerial post and my apology for any mistakes I made during my tenure,” Mahfud said at a press briefing after meeting with Jokowi.

A day before, Mahfud publicly announced his wish to resign from his ministerial post to avoid any potential misuse of power ahead of the election.

Prevailing regulations allow ministers to retain their positions and take regular leave while running for elected office or campaigning for candidates. But activists have said that allowing ministers to take leave, rather than requiring them to resign, could distract them from their jobs or lead to unethical conduct as they could be prone to promoting themselves while on official duty.

Earlier on Thursday, on the sidelines of his working visit to Wonogiri, Central Java, Jokowi said, “It is Mahfud’s right to resign and I respect it.”

Mahfud’s decision came less than two weeks before voting day, although he had said on several previous occasions that he had been considering resigning since before the first debate in December of last year.

Mahfud is running for vice president alongside presidential candidate Ganjar Pranowo of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P). They are competing against front-runner Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto and running mate Gibran Rakabuming Raka, as well as Anies Baswedan and Muhaimin Iskandar.

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