Low-key party for Gus Dur birthday<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Former President Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid
\ncelebrated his 61st birthday in a low-key party with his
\nrelatives and close friends at his residence in Ciganjur, South
\nJakarta on Saturday.<\/p>\n
The main features were cutting a rice cone and chanting
\nprayers.<\/p>\n
Among his guests were caretaker Minister of Foreign Affairs
\nAlwi Shihab, former presidential secretary Adhie Massardi and
\nbusinessman Marimutu Sinivasan.<\/p>\n
Over 1,000 of his loyal supporters who came to wish him well
\non his arrival from a medical checkup in the U.S. on Friday were
\nstill at his vast residence. And more of his admirers keep
\nflowing to his residence to wish him well.<\/p>\n
Last year, Abdurrahman celebrated his 60th birthday at Cipanas
\npresidential palace just three days before the start of a crucial
\nPeople's Consultative Assembly annual session to evaluate his
\nperformance as President.<\/p>\n
The special dish offered at that celebration used three deer
\nfrom Bogor Palace, one privilege that Abdurrahman may never have
\nagain, after the Assembly fired him on July 23 for incompetence.<\/p>\n
Megawati Soekarnoputri, who was the guest of honor at
\nAbdurrahman's birthday last year and became his successor, did
\nnot turn up for Saturday's party, probably because the
\nrelationship between the two longtime friends has turned ugly.<\/p>\n
At 12:30 p.m., Abdurrahman arrived at the National Awakening
\nParty (PKB) headquarters that he founded, where well-wishers sang
\nhim Happy birthday as he alighted from his car smiling.<\/p>\n
Abdurrahman was born in the East Java township of Jombang, on
\nAug.4, 1940, a stronghold of Nahdlatul Ulama, Indonesia's largest
\nMuslim organization that his grandfather Hasyim Asy'ari founded.
\n(dja)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/low-key-party-for-gus-dur-birthday-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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