Former Philippine President Fidel Ramos, who oversaw a rare period of steady growth and peace that won him the reputation as one of the country’s most effective leaders ever, has died aged 94, according to officials.
Known as “Steady Eddie” for his unflappable demeanour during the country’s regular moments of upheaval, he was frequently pictured chewing unlit cigars as he led the Philippines between 1992 and 1998.
A career military man, he was the first Protestant to win the top office in the overwhelmingly Catholic nation, despite opposition from some in the Church.
Ramos narrowly won a contested election in 1992 to replace the People Power leader Corazon Aquino who unseated Marcos.
Though he gained less than 23 percent of the vote, Ramos soon polled at 66 percent support and his presidency was remembered for a period of peace, stability and economic growth.
Source: www.aljazeera.com
No comments:
Post a Comment