Suharto's family allows docs to take him off life support

New Delhi: Former Indonesian President Suharto's condition worsened on Sunday, as his family granted doctors permission to take him off life support when they deem fit.

Doctors at Pertamina Hospital said they will continue to keep Suharto, 86, on a ventilator until all his organs stop functioning.

Doctors say his red blood cell count has fallen and the heart and lungs are showing signs of continuous decline.

Suharto was admitted to the hospital in critical condition on January 4 with anemia and a low heart rate. Doctors pegged his chances of recovery at "50-50" and called his condition "very critical."

Marjo Subiandono, the chief presidential doctor, said that there were difficulties with Suharto's blood flow and that his breathing pipe had to be cleared early on Sunday after indications that it was becoming clogged, AP reported.

"His blood pressure dropped to 80/90 over 40," Subiandono said. "He is still breathing with the help of a ventilator."

On Saturday, Indonesia's attorney general made an offer to Suharto's family to settle civil claims of $1.5 billion that the ex-president is accused of stealing from the state during his 32-year regime.

Lawyers for the family told CNN they were rejecting the offer because it was inappropriate to talk about the corruption case during such a difficult time, and because Suharto has denied doing anything wrong.

Suharto was president of Indonesia from 1967 until his resignation in 1998. He steered Indonesia through a period of economic improvement, was staunchly anti-Communist and drew his country closer to the West.

However, his ruthless methods resulted in thousands of deaths, said Jusuf Wanandi from the Center of Strategic and International Studies in Jakarta. And his family is accused of amassing billion of dollars in state funds during his reign.

A former general, he stepped down under immense political pressure following widespread student demonstrations and rioting.

Since then he has seldom been seen in public due to several strokes, which have affected his speech and brain function, as well as giving him grounds to avoid appearing in court.

(With inputs from CNN)