Armed police defy Wahid

President Wahid is determined to stay in office

Dozens of armed paramilitary police have formed a protective cordon around the home of Indonesia's police chief, after reports of an order for his arrest from President Abdurrahman Wahid.

Police General Suroyo Bimantoro, who is currently abroad, has refused to step down after being sacked from his post last month.

My reply [to the president's allegations] is: Ha ha ha

Jakarta police chief, Major General Sofyan Yacob

Squads from the elite police mobile squad arrived at sunset. One officer said they had been ordered to protect General Bimantoro's home from any threat.

President Wahid has ordered legal measures to be taken against the general for insubordination, but reports of an arrest warrant were denied by a presidential spokesman.

Troops were also reported to be protecting the home of Jakarta police chief, Major General Sofyan Yacob.

President Wahid has accused both men of plotting against him and planning his detention ahead of impeachment proceedings that are due to start next month.

Fading power

Correspondents say the threat of legal action is an attempt by Mr Wahid to shore up his fading authority.

General Bimantoro is thought to be in Singapore

General Suroyo Bimantoro is reported to be in Singapore for a medical check up.

He says he will not step down because the president needs approval from parliament, which has publicly backed the general.

In Jakarta, General Yacob told the privately-owned SCTV television station: "My reply [to the president's allegations] is: Ha ha ha."

The top legislature is due to convene on 1 August and is widely expected to impeach the president over his chaotic 20-month rule.

The stand-off comes days after the president renewed a threat to call a state of emergency unless proceedings against him were dropped.

Police crisis

At first, presidential spokesman Adhie Massardi said Mr Wahid had ordered "tough action" to be taken against General Bimantoro "to avoid the spreading of insubordination".

Vice-President Megawati is widely expected to be the next president

"The order will take the form of an arrest," he said.

But later, a key presidential aide, Cabinet Secretary Marsuki Darusman, insisted that there was no explicit arrest order.

He said that Mr Wahid had proposed arresting the general in a meeting on Tuesday, but the security minister rejected it, and advised the president to consider "alternative means" of resolving the crisis.

A BBC correspondent in Jakarta says the feud between President Wahid and his renegade police chief has become an apt symbol of the chaos bordering on farce into which Indonesia's Government has descended.

In a separate development police said an explosion near parliament on Wednesday night appeared to be intended to create fear ahead of impeachment hearings.

At least 14 people were injured in the blast beneath a busy toll road overpass. It was the latest in a series of unexplained explosions and bombings in Jakarta.