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