Gus Dur drops defamation lawsuit against Jusuf Kalla

Jakarta, NU Online
Former President Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid has called off his defamation lawsuit against Vice President Jusuf Kalla, his lawyer said.

Gus Dur had also withdrawn a related complaint he had lodged with the police against Jusuf Kalla, his lawyer, Ikhsan Abdullah, told the press here Wednesday.<>

"Gus Dur and Jusuf Kalla are to set an example by settling their quarrel through the method of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR)," Ikhsan was quoted by Antara news agency as saying.

Formalities to abort Gus Dur`s lawsuit against Jusuf Kalla were fulfilled at the Central Jakarta District Court on Tuesday.

Ikhsan said the former president and the vice president met on July 11 for a reconciliation talk.

Both figures, according to Ikhsan, had realized that peaceful solution to their problem was the best way to overcome their differences.

Ikhsan said Gus Dur had filed a lawsuit against Vice President Jusuf Kalla over the latter`s statement that when Gus Dur was president, he asked for non-budgetary funds from Kalla who was then the chief of the State Logistics Agency (Bulog).

Kalla had also said he rejected Gus Dur`s request and, as a consequence, he was eventually replaced as Bulog chief.

Ikhsan said, after mediation, the two figures reached agreement to reconcile, and the reconciliation was followed by the withdrawal of Gus Dur`s lawsuit and report to the police. (dar)