Icann president and chief executive, Stuart Lynn, has announced plans to step down from his position, citing personal reasons.

The head of the internet's overseeing body made his announcement less than two months after fighting broke out within the ranks of Icann. Board members had called the body a "failed experiment".

Lynn came out of retirement in March 2001 to serve a two-year contract as president, and will retire when it ends in 2003.

"This is a 7-day-a-week, 24-hours-per-day job and I now need to pay attention to my personal life and health," he said.

Lynn had been lambasted from within the organisation for trying to introduce reforms that took power away from internet users and instead gave it to companies.

"The resulting overly politicised situation not only threatens the stability of the internet itself, but also invites drastic and undesirable interventions by a variety of vested interests," internal protestors had said.

In a second blow, Andrew McLaughlin, Icann's vice president and chief policy officer, also announced his resignation, effective from 1 July this year.

McLaughlin will continue to work in a part-time capacity to facilitate a smooth transition to his successor. The rest of the time he will work at Harvard Law School's Berkman Centre for Internet and Society.

Icann chairman Vint Cerf said: "Icann is understandably disappointed with this news, but appreciates and sympathises with the reasons behind both announcements.

"We are relying on them both to continue their diligent work on Icaan's behalf until these transitions have run their full course." Cerf announced that the board would organise a search committee to start seeking Lynn's replacement.