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Gus Dur

December 30, 2009 by · Comments Off on Gus Dur 

Gus-DurGus Dur:Former Indonesian president, Gus Dur, has died.Abdurrahman Wahid, famously known as Gus Dur, was the first president of Indonesia who was democratically elected. Gus Dur was ill for many years. He was diabetic and was nearly blind. He often suffered with strokes. Gus Dur underwent dialysis and was admitted in Cipto Manhunkusumo Hospital for one week. The chief nurse of the hospital told the press that he was undergoing treatment in the intensive care unit. The head of the hospital told that Gus Dur was doing well and his health was improving but last night his condition worsened and he was admitted to the ICU where he passed away. The exact cause of his death is yet unknown. His family was with him at the time of his death. Gus Dur was 69 years old.

A Brief Account of Gus Dur’s Political Journey

Gus Dur was a Muslim Indonesian and served the country as the President of Indonesia from 1999 to 2001. He was the president of National Awakening Party and was the first democratically elected president of the country after the downfall of Suharto’s regime.

Gus Dur believed in democracy. When he took over the highest office of Indonesia, the country was facing poor economy and was struggling with a broken political system which was in a desperate need for a motivated, strong leader. Gus Dur was committed to bring true democracy in the country. One of the key steps he took during his regime was the regular meetings with East Timor’s prominent political figures. Gus Dur was eventually removed from his office amid accusations of corruption. The corruption allegations are still unproven.

Gus Dur – A firm Believer of Moderate Islam

Gus Dur strongly defended moderation in religion and secular politics. He was the former president of Nahdlatul Ulama which is the world’s largest Muslim organization with 40 million members. A firm believer of equal rights for minorites, Gus Dur often spoke on behalf of the Christian and Chinese minorities of Indonesia.

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