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Former Indonesian President Dies

   VOA News 30 December 2009
   Former President of Indonesia, Abdurrahman Wahid (File)

Photo: AP

   Former President of Indonesia, Abdurrahman Wahid (File)

   Indonesian  officials  say  former  President  Abdurrahman  Wahid died
   Wednesday  at  the  age  of  69,  after  a long struggle with strokes,
   diabetes and near blindness.
   Better  known  as  Gus Dur to his constituents, the late Muslim cleric
   was Indonesia's first democratically elected president.
   When  he  took  office  in 1999, Mr. Wahid was seen as a president who
   would  lead  Indonesia  from  chaos  to recovery after four decades of
   dictatorship, economic crisis and violence.
   But  his  political popularity quickly waned when he failed to deliver
   promised   reforms   and   was   accused   of   involvement   in  two,
   multi-million-dollar scandals.
   Indonesia's  parliament  impeached  Mr.  Wahid in 2002, just 21 months
   into his administration.
   Some information for this report was provided by AFP and AP.

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