Doctors: Suharto’s condition improves

Indonesia's ex-dictator Suharto

JAKARTA, Saturday (AFP) - The health of Indonesia's ex-dictator Suharto improved today, a day after he suffered multiple organ failure, as the government said a major graft case against him would be settled out of court. The 86-year-old former president, who stepped down a decade ago after 32 years of often brutal rule in the world's fourth most populous nation, was admitted to hospital on January 4 with heart, kidney and lung problems.

His condition has since fluctuated before dramatically worsening on Friday evening, when he was connected to a ventilator to stay alive. But Marjo Soebiandono, one of the doctors in the large team of experts assembled to treat Suharto, said that as of 0200 GMT today, the patient's general condition was “better” and he had regained consciousness.

“When I asked him whether it hurt, he shook his head,” he said, adding however that he showed signs of infection in his lungs and his haemoglobin levels were falling. He said the doctors wouldl continue to make intensive efforts to improve his general condition.