Wahid edges closer to impeachment

Wahid has rejected compromises to give more power to Megawati

JAKARTA, Indonesia -- Leaders of Indonesia's parliamentary factions are holding a meeting to discuss a possible change in leadership.

The informal meeting began Wednesday morning, a day after President Abdurrahman Wahid dropped a bombshell by saying he expected to be impeached.

Parliament chiefs will also debate the timing of any impeachment hearing against Wahid, underscoring how close the Muslim cleric is to losing his job as Indonesia's first democratically-elected president.

The meeting should give an indication of parliament's next move on the road to removing the erratic Wahid and replacing him with popular but untested Vice President Megawati Sukarnoputri.

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Parliament has censured Wahid twice, following allegations over two financial scandals. If the cleric fails to respond to the second rebuke by May 30, legislators can call for an impeachment hearing in the supreme People's Consultative Assembly (MPR).

A defiant Wahid on Tuesday challenged MPs to impeach him, but vowed not to leave the political stage without a fight.

Impeachment timing

"Among other things we will discuss is to decide the timing of a special session, which quite likely will be held after all," said Hery Akhmadi, a legislator in Megawati's Indonesia Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), as quoted by Reuters.

Wahid, who has denied any wrongdoing over the scandals, so far refuses to respond to the second rebuke and rejects compromises, such as giving more power to Megawati.

His attitude, according to many observers, has given momentum to calls for an impeachment hearing.

Should Wahid lose power, Megawati, his deputy and chairman of the biggest party in parliament and MPR, would automatically take over the troubled country from her old friend.

The enigmatic Megawati has said little during the political crisis but was quoted earlier this week as saying efforts to hold the impeachment hearing were unstoppable.

Although she could probably give Wahid the final push, analysts say she will not dirty her hands by overtly ousting her friend or circumventing the constitution, partly afraid of the violence it might trigger from the cleric's supporters.

Wahid himself said he would campaign again for the presidency at the next election due in 2004.

Growing tension

In a clear sign of the cracking support for Wahid, Defense Minister Mahfud M.D. said tension had grown between Wahid and the daughter of Indonesia's first president Sukarno.

Megawati broke her usual silence on the political impasse on Tuesday, telling supporters in Sumatra that her party believed she must be president of the fragile archipelago one day -- a comment that, while typically vague, was significant for its timing.

Despite the rumored tension between the two top leaders, Wahid and Megawati still had breakfast together Wednesday morning at the vice-president's official house, local media reported.

Reuters contributed to this report.