Jakarta. Dhony Rahajoe, the former Deputy Head of the Nusantara Capital Authority Body (OIKN), revealed the reason behind his resignation on Monday, stating it was a form of responsibility to the public due to his inability to fulfill the mandate entrusted to him.

Dhony made this statement in response to public inquiries regarding his decision to step down just before the Independence Day ceremony at Nusantara in East Kalimantan on Aug. 17.

“This resignation is my responsibility to the public due to my limitations as the deputy head of the Authority, having been unable to contribute significantly to Nusantara, in line with the spirit and objectives of building a new history and civilization,” he said in a short message to Antara News Agency in Jakarta on Tuesday.

He acknowledged that his decision to resign has raised public questions and sparked various speculations.

However, Dhony emphasized that this difficult decision was made to support the spirit of transformation in Nusantara's development.

“I believe this country will always be fine. Everything tangled must be unraveled, and everything slow must be accelerated,” he added.

On Monday, State Secretary Minister Pratikno announced the resignations of OIKN Head Bambang Susantono and Deputy Head Dhony Rahajoe.

Bambang has been assigned a new role to strengthen international collaboration in constructing the new capital city in East Kalimantan.

Following these resignations, a Presidential Decree has been issued appointing Public Works and Housing Minister Basuki Hadimuljono as Acting Head of the Nusantara Authority Body and Deputy Minister of Agrarian Affairs and Spatial Planning Raja Juli Antoni as Acting Deputy Head.

President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo has tasked Basuki and Raja Juli with ensuring the acceleration of Nusantara's development.

Indonesia is currently racing against time to build Nusantara as President Joko Widodo plans to start working from the nation's new capital this July. He also aims to celebrate Indonesia’s Independence Day on August 17 in the yet-to-be-built capital.

Despite the leadership change, Basuki assured that Nusantara's development would proceed as planned, with progress reaching 80 percent.