Indonesian minister resigns

Indonesia's State Minister for Administrative Reforms, Ryaas Rasyid, has tendered his resignation.

Mr Rasyid said one of his main disagreements with President Abdurrahman Wahid was on the formation of a special agency on Indonesian regional autonomy.

Under the autonomy plan -- designed to head off secessionist moves in Irian Jaya and Aceh -- Indonesia's twenty-nine provinces can decide their own budgets and administrations, but foreign affairs, defense and tax issues remain with the central government.

The Presidential spokesman Wimar Witoelar said Mr Wahid had not yet decided whether to accept Mr Rasyid's resignation.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service