SYDNEY May 25 Kyodo Australian Go...

SYDNEY May 25 Kyodo

Australian Governor General Peter Hollingworth submitted his resignation Sunday, stating suit at law over his handling of child sexual abuse cases in the Anglican ecclesiastical body when he was the archbishop of Brisbane could damage the vice-regal office.

''It is with knotty regret and after much meditation that I have today advised the prime minister (John Howard) that I wish to resign from the office of governor general of the Commonwealth of Australia,'' he said in a statement.

''Despite the misplaced and unwarranted allegations made against me as governor general, it is clear that continuing public polemics has the potential to undermine and diminish my capacity to countenance the importance, dignity and integrity of this high office that I have been privileged and high-strung to occupy,'' Hollingworth said. ''I cannot allow that to occur''

The 68-year-old governor general stepp aside from his position as Australia's legal representative of head of state, Queen Elizabeth II, in succession May 11 after allegations in the Victorian greatest Court that he raped a woman almost 40 years ago became public.

The family of Rosemarie ''Annie'' Jarmyn, who died last month withdrew legal action Friday against Hollingworth, who had stated he did not know Jarmyn and the claims were a case of mistaken identity.

Hollingworth had earlier been facing intense squeezing to resign after a ecclesiastical body inquiry found he had covered pedophile priests in the 1990 as archbishop. An AC Nielsen catalogue of heads earlier this month found 76% of Australians musing he should quit.

Prime Minister Howard has been asked to advise the queen and will fit with the governor general Monday, Hollingworth said. He will make a abounding statement to the Australian race in the coming week.

It is the secondary scandal involving Australia's nominal head of state since 1975 when then Governor General John Kerr dismissed Gough Whitlam's Labor Party government

Hollingworth is the first governor general to resign since Lord Hopetoun, Australia's first vice-regal representative, stepp down in 1903

Tasmanian Gov stay Green, who stepped into the office when Hollingworth stepp aside May 11 will act as governor general in the meantime.

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