Wahid renews threat of break-up

Wahid: Street violence could erupt if he is ousted

Indonesia's embattled president, Abdurrahman Wahid, has reiterated the warning that his country would disintegrate if attempts by parliament to impeach him were successful.

His comments came after a deadline expired for the Vice-President Megawati Sukarnoputri to accept a proposal to share power and end the country's leadership crisis.

There are still a lot of uncertainties in the handover [of powers] concept, and it would lead to lengthy arguments

Megawati Sukarnoputri

A spokesman for Ms Megawati said she had not yet decided whether to take up the offer, which would in effect put her in control of government.

Mr Wahid was at a specially convened news conference amid speculation that he was planning to declare a state of emergency, which would allow him to dissolve parliament.

Power-sharing

The president warned that five provinces, including his home region of East Java, would unilaterally declare independence if he was forced from power.

He said the military was behind him.

The BBC's Jakarta correspondent, Richard Galpin, says that with parliament due to meet next week to launch a possible impeachment process against Mr Wahid, Ms Megawati and other senior politicians appear determined to ignore his threats.

Wahid has remained defiant throughout the crisis

Mr Wahid had given his vice-president and chief rival until 1000 (0300 GMT) on Saturday to respond to a power-sharing offer.

In the press release issued by her secretariat, Ms Megawati said she had reservations over the power-sharing offer which she felt was legally shaky.

"The meaning of the offer to her by Wahid of 'constitutional duties' was unclear, and the proposal would have to be carefully studied, especially from the legal point of view," it said.

"In her opinion there are still a lot of uncertainties in the handover [of powers] concept, and it would lead to lengthy arguments," it added.

Impeachment

The president had hoped a truce with his deputy, who is now his main rival, would also end his bitter feud with lawmakers that has crippled his 18-month-old administration.

Some supporters want to fight a 'holy war' for Wahid

A majority of legislators now want Ms Megawati to replace Mr Wahid, who has not been able to revive the plunging economy and end rising unrest across the world's fourth most populous state.

They are expected to meet next Wednesday and demand that the nation's highest assembly, which elected him 18 months ago, now impeach him over corruption allegations that he has denied.

Officials from Miss Megawati's party emerged from lengthy crisis talks in the early hours of Saturday saying parliament would call an impeachment hearing against Mr Wahid over his role in two graft scandals when it meets on Wednesday.

"Up until now, we still consider the special [impeachment] session as the only way out," Roy Janis, deputy chairman of Megawati's Indonesian Democratic Party-Struggle (PDI-P), told hordes of reporters outside her official home in the capital.

Miss Megawati automatically replaces Mr Wahid if he falls and, as leader of the largest parliamentary party, holds his fate in her hands.