<div><span style="font-size: 1rem;"><b>Indonesia’s chief security minister and vice-presidential candidate Mahfud MD said today that he would tender his resignation to President Joko Widodo once he has the chance to meet the president.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>The president is scheduled to be in Indonesia’s capital Jakarta tomorrow. Mahfud did not say why he would be stepping down from the job.</div><div><br></div><div>Mahfud is the running mate of former provincial governor Ganjar Pranowo, who is up against defence minister Prabowo Subianto, and ex-Jakarta governor Anies Baswedan.</div><div><br></div><div>“I will say my goodbye to the president with honour. I will report to him that I am done (with the job),” Mahfud said in a statement livestreamed on his Instagram account.</div><div><br></div><div>The office of the president did not immediately respond to a request to comment.</div><div><br></div><div>Indonesia is to have its presidential and legislative elections on Feb 14.</div><div><br></div><div>Mahfud’s resignation comes amid speculation and reports in local media about the potential resignation of respected finance minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati.</div><div><br></div><div>The finance ministry has said Sri Mulyani is continuing to carry out her duties in managing state finances.</div><div><br></div><div>Opinion surveys show the pairing of Ganjar and Mahfud in last place in the race to lead the world’s third-largest democracy, just lagging another candidate Anies Baswedan, but well behind clear frontrunner Prabowo, whose running mate is President Widodo’s son. - Reuters&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>