Playing-it-by-ear rule in Indonesia; In the absence of an alternative, Wahid remains the sprawling country's best hope for the future.(World)(President Abdurrahman Wahid)

From: The Christian Science Monitor | Date: February 25, 2000| Author: | Copyright information

An Islamic scholar, he loves the Rolling Stones and European soccer. An intellectual, he flunked out of colleges in Egypt and Iraq.

He is a former leader of the world's largest Muslim organization, yet he's more likely to quote Thomas Jefferson than the Koran.

He says he is committed to building democratic institutions, yet he inherited the post that gave him prominence. He promises transparency and accountability, yet disdains explaining his actions to the public.

Put simply, President Adburrahman Wahid - most Indonesians familiarly call him Gus Dur - is hard to ...

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