Questioning the President's health

The more President Abdurrahman Wahid makes controversial statements, the more people question his health. Some people even see it as part of a plot to overthrow him. The question is, can the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) topple him on the basis of his health? Didn't the MPR know about his health long before he was elected President?

The case of Abdurrahman's health is important and interesting to watch. The "axis force" nominated him for president while ignoring his health, only because it did not want Megawati elected. In doing so it disregarded at least two facts. First, it deliberately ignored the health factor as an important precondition for choosing a national leader. Second, it ignored the people's aspiration as reflected by the general election: Megawati's party won most of the votes. Whatever the consequences may be they must now be borne by the entire nation.

Abdurrahman's health gives reason for concern. There is nothing new about that. For that reason it is necessary that he be regularly examined by the best doctors this country has. The issue, however, should not be politicized -- except, that is, if the MPR wants to display its own stupidity to the people: it elected an ailing person as President.

-- Media Indonesia, Jakarta