Gus Dur on the mend, doctor says

JAKARTA (JP): Moslem scholar Abdurrahman Wahid, hospitalized since Saturday for high blood pressure and a light stroke, was on the mend and would soon be released, his doctor said.

Jusuf Misbach, who headed a team of doctors treating the chairman of the Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), told reporters on Wednesday that Abdurrahman would have to rest for at least a week. He was exhausted after two days of video-recording his speech for a gathering of the People's Awakening Party (PKB) last Sunday.

Jusuf said the stroke was "lighter" than the one that Abdurrahman, better known as Gus Dur, suffered from in January.

"The medical team recommends that this not happen again. It depends on his condition, too. His blood pressure is now normal, everything seems fine," he said.

Meanwhile, vases and wreaths of flowers from well-wishers continued to flow in. They came from, among others, former chief of the Army's Special Forces who signed his card "Lt. Gen. Prabowo Subianto and family".

Public figures who came in person included unrecognized Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) leader Megawati Soekarnoputri, Sarwono Kusumaatmadja and Lt. Gen. (ret) Kemal Idris. (edt)