President's health issue 'a ploy' by enemies

JAKARTA (JP): Claims that President Abdurrahman Wahid was medically unfit for office was just a political ploy by the President's enemies, an aide said on Saturday.

"The President noted that the issue of his health was always brought up to discredit him," presidential spokesman Adhi Massardi told reporters at Merdeka Palace.

"I know the President is very fit."

Chief of Abdurrahman's medical team, Umar Wahid, has also denied media reports suggesting the President was medically unfit -- which constitutionally would allow him to face an impeachment.

Umar, who is the President's younger brother, also denied reports that the President's doctors had sent a letter to the House of Representatives (DPR) suggesting that Abdurrahman, who is under intense pressure to step down over his erratic leadership, was not well enough to run the country.

Umar also dismissed the validity of the medical reports now being studied by some lawmakers.

He said the reports had been written by doctors who had never examined the President and were based on secondhand information.

Umar was referring to House Speaker Akbar Tandjung's statement on Thursday that the DPR would meet with a team of four doctors on Monday to hear their report on the President's health.

The report, copies of which are being circulated at the House, by the medical team suggests that from a medical perspective, Abdurrahman, who has been weakened by at least two strokes and diabetes, and is clinically blind, is no longer fit to carry out his presidential duties. (byg)