Habibie, Jusuf

Bacharuddin Jusuf Habibie was born in 1936 in Pare-Pare, South Sulawesi, Indonesia. In March 1998 the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) elected and installed Habibie as the seventh Vice President of the Republic of Indonesia. On May 21, l998, he took the oath of office as third President of the Republic of Indonesia. Under his leadership, the country succeeded not only in conducting the first free and fair general elections in 1999 but also in bringing about significant changes towards democratization and reform. Habibie has 17 national and 16 international medals and decorations.