Jakarta. Edy Rahmayadi resigned as chairman of the Indonesian Football Association, or PSSI, over the weekend amid fresh allegations of match-fixing in the national league, which have reignited the sport's long-running struggle against corruption.

The PSSI and police announced a crackdown on match-fixing in December after an executive member of the association was caught on tape trying to bribe a coach with approximately $10,000 to throw a second-division match.

Edy, who is the governor of North Sumatra, said his decision to resign as PSSI chairman was made in the nation's best interest.

"Nothing pressured me to step down. This is the best decision for the nation," Edy said after his resignation speech during the opening of the PSSI annual congress in Nusa Dua, Bali, on Sunday.

Harry Gendhar Ruswanto, a former manager of Persitara and Persebaya, said Edy's withdrawal from the association would aid the process of uncovering further corruption and clear the way for a special task force to freely investigate.

In accordance with Article 39 of the PSSI statute, deputy chairman Joko Driyono will take over the reins until the current leadership period ends in 2020.

Integrity Committee

Following last year's match-fixing allegation, the PSSI established an ad hoc integrity committee, led by Ahmad Riyadh and Azwan Karim, to focus on the manipulation of match outcomes.

Riyadh is chairman of the PSSI provincial association in East Java, while Azwan is the director of Persita Tangerang and a former PSSI secretary general for the period 2015-2016.

In addition to ratifying the establishment of the ad hoc integrity committee and an independent referee institution, the congress also drew up a list of candidates to replace Edy as PSSI chairman.

One of them is Erick Thohir, chairman of the Indonesian Olympic Committee (KOI), who is widely considered the best person for the job due to his five-year track record as president of Italian club Inter Milan.

The PSSI has been rocked by a series of scandals in the past, including unpaid wages and the deaths of at least two foreign players who were unable to afford medical care.