NOTEWORTHY DEATH

Former Indonesian President

Abdurrahman Wahid, popularly known as Gus Dur, died Wednesday, Indonesian presidential spokesman Julian Aldrin Pasha said. He was 69.

Wahid, a Muslim cleric, was elected president Oct. 20, 1999, in the first democratic transfer of power in Indonesia’s history. He succeeded longtime dictator Suharto and served for nearly two years.

Leading the world’s fourthmost-populous nation at a time when it was trying to emerge from its deepest recession in a generation, Wahid was widely respected as a moderate figure who could bring together disparate elements of Indonesia’s newly invigorated political landscape.

“We lost a great statesman who had dedicated all of his life to the nation, struggling for the sake of those sufferingfrom injustice,” his younger brother, Solahuddin Wahid, told The Associated Press.

Wahid had been receiving treatment in the intensivecare unit of Ciptomangunkusumo Hospital in Jakarta for the past week and died Wednesday evening.

Professor Yusuf Misbach, head of his medical team, said the former president died during surgery to remove a blood clot in his heart. Wahid’s condition had deteriorated because of complications with diabetes and kidney failure, he said.

Wahid had struggled with illness for years. He was confined to a wheelchair, lost most of his sight, and suffered serious kidney problems.

Information for this article was contributed by Agus Suhana of Bloomberg News and Niniek Karmini of The Associated Press.

Northwest Arkansas, Pages 10 on 12/31/2009

Upcoming Events