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JAKARTA - Former Indonesian president Suharto was in a critical condition in hospital on Saturday, his doctors said, a day after the 86-year-old was admitted with a weakening heart and kidneys.
Suharto fell ill earlier in the week at his home, which he has rarely left since his downfall amid mass protests and economic turmoil in 1998 ended his 32-year iron-grip rule of Indonesia, the world's fourth most populous nation.
His six children, current President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, Vice-President Jusuf Kalla and a stream of other high-profile officials visited Suharto, who according to doctors remained conscious but drowsy.
"His condition is critical... The team of doctors are doing everything they can to manage the health of former president Suharto. We have to pray for success," Yudhoyono said later at the presidential palace.
Presidential doctor Marjo Soebiandono said on Metro TV that Suharto had been put on haemodialysis after his blood pressure rose during the day. He had been admitted to hospital with symptoms of anaemia and low blood pressure.
"His blood pressure is higher than this morning, so we were able to start putting him on haemodialysis. Hopefully we can recover his kidney function soon," he said.
"This means compared to this morning he is better, but in general he is still critical," he said, adding that the ex-president also had problems with his heart valves which would require an operation involving his pacemaker.
He did not say when this procedure would be carried out.
Doctors said a team of experts recruited from various hospitals in Jakarta was closely monitoring Suharto's condition.
Suharto has been in and out of hospital for various ailments in recent years, including at least two strokes and stomach problems.
Former officials from Suharto's era also turned up to visit, along with a group of prominent Islamic leaders including Din Syamsuddin, head of Indonesia's second largest Muslim organisation, Muhammadiyah.
One of the group, Azyumardi Azra, told the Detik.com news portal that they had said prayers for Suharto's recovery and he "responded by moving his head".
Suharto's former state secretary and close confidant Moerdiono also visited and said all of Suharto's children were seen in the room except his youngest and reputedly favourite son, Hutomo Mandala Putra, popularly known as Tommy.
Tommy was reported to have visited his father in secret early Saturday to avoid reporters, his lawyer told Detik.com.
Prosecutors have brought a multi-million-dollar civil law suit against Tommy in a land scam case. He has also been named as a suspect in a criminal case that involves a state monopoly he used to head.
Suharto steered Indonesia from being a fractious economic backwater to an icon of development, until the 1997 Asian economic crisis unravelled much of the progress and exposed the devastating impact corruption had wrought on the nation.
Suharto has been accused of being one of the 20th century's worst kleptocrats by amassing billions of dollars for himself, his family and cronies while in power.
A criminal trial against him was abandoned on health grounds, though a civil suit is currently being heard. The government is seeking 1.4 billion dollars in damages and returned assets allegedly accrued through a charitable foundation Suharto chaired while in power.
Transparency International estimated he and his family's worth at 35 billion dollars in 2004, while Time magazine claimed he accumulated some 15 billion dollars while in power -- a move that saw Suharto successfully bring a libel case against it last year.
The magazine is fighting the decision that saw Indonesia's top court award Suharto 107 million dollars in damages. - AFP/ir
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