Jakarta. Yusril Ihza Mahendra abruptly announced his resignation as the chairman of the Muslim-based Crescent Star Party (PBB) on Saturday evening, prompting an internal vote to appoint an interim leader.

The former justice minister cited his age as the main reason for the surprise decision.

A statement from the party said that Yusril has been involved with PBB for too long since he founded it during the “reformasi” era after the downfall of President Soeharto in 1998.

PBB has failed to win a seat in the House of Representatives in the last four general elections.

Yusril, 68, “will continue to contribute to the nation in his capacity as an academic with extensive experience in national politics without the limitations of a political party affiliation,” the statement reads.

He was replaced by Fahri Bachmid, 46, who won the internal vote for an interim leader serving until the national congress scheduled for next January.

Yusril has served as the justice minister under three presidents and runs a law firm post-ministerial duties. He is widely recognized as a state administrative law professor who represented President Joko Widodo and President-Elect Prabowo Subianto during the trials on presidential election disputes in 2019 and 2024, respectively.

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