Gus Dur laments loss of cassettes

Gus Dur laments loss of cassettes

KUPANG, East Nusa Tenggara: Former president Abdurrahman "Gus
Dur" Wahid says he does not regret being ousted; his only agony
is losing his collection of cassettes of Ludwig von Beethoven.

Abdurrahman was responding to a lecturer of Widya Mandira
Catholic University, where the former president addressed a
public lecture.

"Why should I be upset? What made me sad is the loss of
Beethoven's compositions. There were dozens of cassettes of
selected pieces of Beethoven," he said, adding that one of his
presidential staff had taken the collection.

Gus Dur, who has impaired vision, has been fond of classical
music since he was a boy.

"I never had any ambition to win the presidency, but the MPR
elected me," he said, referring to the People's Consultative
Assembly, the highest law making body in the country which
dismissed him in July last year due to his erratic governing
style. -- Antara