Former President Lee Teng-hui, Taiwan's first popularly elected leader who played a key role in the self-ruled island's democratization, died on Thursday. He was 97.Lee, who had been in a coma since Feb. 17, for some time, was pronounced dead at 7:24 p.m. at Taipei Veterans General Hospital, the hospital said, giving the cause of death as multiple organ failure.The hospital said Lee developed pneumonia and heart failure after choking on milk on Feb. 8, and his lungs and kidneys were also seriously damaged.Often called the "father of Taiwan's democracy, "Lee ruled from 1988 to 2000 and playe…READ FULL ARTICLE
