Wahid weathers protest storms

Protests for and against Wahid have marked the presidency

By Atika Shubert
CNN Correspondent

JAKARTA, Indonesia -- Indonesian President Abdurrahman Wahid is calm in the face of crisis.

On Monday, despite thousands of die-hard supporters thronging the streets and a series of vociferous attacks from lawmakers, Wahid sat serenely in the presidential palace, listening to his favorite renditions of Bach.

Indonesia's political crisis shows no signs of diminishing and law-makers seem set for an inexorable march towards impeachment.

Parliament overwhelmingly voted to censure Wahid for a second time, the first censure in February setting the stage for his ousting in as little as three months.

But that may be enough to time for the wily Wahid to strike a deal with a law-makers and perhaps, more importantly, Vice President Megawati Sukarnoputri.

"It's a political game and it will be met politically," said presidential spokesperson Wimar Witoelar in reply to news of the censure.

"We still have to see what will transpire," he said. "Basically people are looking for some kind of political accommodation.

"And if that's the case, I think that President Wahid still has some resources to deal with that."

Special session

According to parliament and Assembly regulations, the President has 30 days to respond to parliament's censure.

If parliament is still not satisfied, law makers may call a special Assembly session, the only forum that can impeach the president.

But the session requires at least two months to set up. President Wahid would have to give an "accountability speech" to be judged by law-makers.

Wahid will then have one final right of reply. If that, too, is rejected by the Assembly, the president is removed from power.

Wahid may still have time to bargain for a political deal to save his presidency.

The solution will have to involve an agreement with Vice President Megawati.

As next in line and head of the largest party in parliament, controlling a third of the seats, Megawati is crucial to any political solution.

Megawati silent

While her party members have stridently called for the president's resignation, Megawati has refused to comment.

She has not said publicly that she wants to take the presidency. Her only public statement has been to say that whatever path is taken must be constitutional.

Wahid's camp is hoping that something akin to a power-sharing agreement can be arranged. But PDI-P members say that plan has already been tried, failing when Wahid refused to honor the agreement.

They say they won't be falling for the same trick twice.

"There was a division of duties between president and vice president that was clearly stated and agreed to," PDI-P spokesperson Dwi Ria Latifa read in the party statement to parliament.

Quickest solution

"That decision was to speed the recovery of the nation. It was not carried out as it should have been and the result is the crisis we are now in."

Wahid's harshest critics say the quickest and easiest solution is for the president to step down. His resignation, they claim, is only a matter of time.

"I think if he wants to resign that would be best. It will cost us cheaper," said PDI-P Legislator, Julius Usman, shortly before the censure was issued, "but he just doesn't want to resign."

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