The New Nation - Internet Edition

AFP, Jakarta

The condition of critically ill former Indonesian president Suharto "is not good" and he remains on a ventilator, but doctors are battling to reduce his infection, they said Thursday. Suharto, who ruled the world's fourth most populous nation ruthlessly for three decades, was first admitted to hospital on January 4 and suffered multiple organ failure a week later, when he was hooked up to a ventilator.

His condition has since been fluctuating on an almost daily basis. "(His condition) remains unstable. Last night it was good, now it is not good," the head of Suharto's medical team Mardjo Soebiandono told reporters. The doctor said the 86-year-old ex-leader still needed the assistance of a ventilator to breathe and showed signs of systemic infection. "A systemic infection means (the infection) is comprehensive, but we are still labouring to reduce this infection and from the available indicators, there seems to be some success," Soebiandono said. An earlier press release from the medical team said Suharto's heart and lung function had shown no signs of improvement.