Former Indonesian president Abdurrahman Wahid has withdrew from the presidential race as a response to the Supreme Court's ruling against him on the health issue.

"I'm not running for the presidential race," he was quoted Saturday by The Jakarta Post newspaper as saying.

His remarks came after he was informed Friday that the court had tossed out his challenge of an election regulation, which stipulates that all presidential candidates must pass an eye examination.

Like the other presidential aspirants, Wahid, or Gus Dur, has undergone health examinations but the results have yet to be announced.

Besides stating that he would not run in the July 5 election, the visually impaired, outspoken cofounder of the National Awakening Party (PKB) added that he would not endorse any candidate from the party or its supporting basis, the country's largest Muslim organization, the Nahdlatul Ulama (NU).

Wahid did, however, express hope that Chief Justice Bagir Mananwould annul the court's decision. The PKB, currently third in terms of votes after the April 5 legislative election, filed the request to the court to revoke the health ruling issued by the General Elections Commission (KPU).

PKB charges that the ruling discriminates against the disabled, while adding that the Constitution and Election Law recognize the political right of all law-abiding citizens to run for the country's top office.

The Constitutional Court ruled in favor of the KPU last week, saying that medical examinations were required for presidential and vice presidential candidates.

The KPU, in cooperation with the Indonesian Doctors Association(IDI), has imposed health requirements for presidential and vice presidential candidates, including eyesight requirements, which have been viewed by many as an effort to prevent Wahid from standing.

Meanwhile, supporters of Wahid on Friday collected signatures in support of the cleric to run for president. So far over 6 million out of PKB's more than 10 million votes have come from East Java, the party's stronghold where PKB ranks highest with over 30 percent of votes according to KPU's provisional election results.

The voters are believed to be NU supporters who want Wahid as president. Blind people in Lampung in South Sumatra and protestersin wheelchairs in Jakarta have also demonstrated against the KPU ruling.

Source: Xinhua