Isolated Wahid unleashes cabinet reshuffle

From staff and wire reports

JAKARTA, Indonesia (CNN) -- Finding himself increasingly isolated, Indonesian President Abdurrahman Wahid reshuffled his cabinet Friday, appointing a supporter of Vice President Megawati Sukarnoputri to a key post.

A presidential spokesman said overall four ministers were sacked, two changed positions and a cabinet secretary was promoted to minister in the surprise shake-up.

CNN's Atika Schubert who is Jakarta says that while no official explanation was given for the reshuffle, the cabinet will now become a more Wahid-Megawati cabinet than it had been before.

She says that by replacing Chief Security Minister Bambang Yudhoyono with Communications Minister Agum Gumelar, Wahid also gets rid of an opponent of his desire to declare a state of civil emergency.

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Growing crisis

Observers say the reshuffle is likely to deepen Indonesia's political crisis as Wahid becomes increasingly desperate to fight off his forced removal from office.

Earlier this week opposition lawmakers voted to call a special session of the National Assembly to debate impeachment charges against him.

Wahid has refused to step down as Indonesia's first democratically elected president and has warned that his impeachment would plunge the world's second largest democracy into chaos.

He has warned that at least six provinces where he has support could erupt in violence if he is impeached, leading to the disintegration of Indonesia.

Attempts to impeach Wahid have sparked riots in East Java and mass demonstrations in Jakarta.

Fraud charges

Among the other ministers caught up in the shuffle are Attorney General Marzuki Darusman, who was replaced with the Justice Minister Baharuddin Lopa.

Darusman had investigated and, earlier this week, dismissed two allegations of fraud against the president.

Marsillan Simantjuntak, who was cabinet secretary, was appointed the justice minister and Budi Muliwan, who was outside the cabinet, was named cabinet secretary.

Yudhoyono, who has served as chief security minister, said the president told him he was being fired to improve relations between the president and vice president.

"His reason for replacing me is -- first, pressure from the public, and, second, Minister Agum Gumelar as chief security minister will improve the relationship between President Wahid and Vice President Megawati," Yudhoyono said.

Wahid had been attempting for weeks to win over Megawati's PDIP party and thereby defuse efforts to impeach him. Up to now, Megawati's party has refused all offers.

The security minister is considered Indonesia's first minister -- the executive who effectively runs the government apparatus.

The outgoing minister, Yudhoyono, who said he was "still loyal" to the president, had repeatedly urged Wahid not to declare a state of emergency, which would allow him to disband parliament and derail the moves to impeach him

The heads of the Indonesia's powerful armed forces have also cautioned against declaring a state of emergency.

"The decree would make Indonesia's problems worse," armed forces spokesman Air Marshall Graito Usodo was quoted as saying. "We have told the president this and we have asked him not to declare it."

Wahid's ultimatum

Earlier Friday Wahid was quoted as giving legislators a week to call off moves to impeach him over his alleged involvement in two multi-million dollar scandals.

"I will give them until Friday. After that we will see what happens," Wahid said after weekly prayers at a Jakarta mosque.

"The government is working hard to handle the security problem so that the political situation can be stabilized," he said.

He described attacks on him by parliament as "a clear and dirty way to kill democracy."

Country 'in danger'

Wahid, who looks certain to face an impeachment hearing in two months time, said again he would not resign despite growing calls for him to step down.

"I don't care what it is, I will take firm action if the country is in danger," Reuters quoted 60-year-old Wahid as saying.

"The challenge is the territorial integrity of the nation. Currently, many people, including officials, believe the integrity problem is a small one which can be overcome," he added.

"But I as an elected president have my own views … I will not resign if the safety of the country is at stake."

He said he still wanted a political compromise that did not violate the constitution.

Faction leaders of the supreme legislature decided on Thursday to convene on August 1 to consider impeaching the former Muslim cleric.

The date for the special session was set and announced by the Speaker of Parliament Amien Rais, one of the Wahid's biggest critics, after a meeting with party leaders.