President's health issue 'a ploy' by enemies

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)