Wahid declares state of emergency

Many lawmakers would prefer Megawati to Wahid

Embattled Indonesian President Abdurrahman Wahid has declared a state of emergency and suspended parliament, calling for new elections in a year's time.

Save this nation, do not let this nation disintegrate

Agum Gumelar
Security minister

His dramatic announcement at 0130 local time (1830 GMT on Sunday) came just hours before Indonesia's lawmakers in the People's Consultative Assembly were due to debate an impeachment motion.

But the head of the country's second largest political party said parliament would refuse to be dissolved and would go ahead with Monday's impeachment hearing as planned.

Wahid's declaration

Parliament suspended

Elections to be held in one year's time

Golkar party disbanded

And the country's top security minister has announced his resignation, following a senior general's warning that the army would not back the state of emergency.

Security Minister Agum Gumelar had earlier met President Wahid for an hour of talks, from which he emerged saying: "Save this nation, do not let this nation disintegrate."

Akbar Tandjung, head of the Golkar party, who is also speaker of parliament, said that Mr Wahid should be sacked and replaced with his deputy, Vice-President Megawati Sukarnoputri.

He called Mr Wahid's move "authoritarian and dictatorial".

The BBC's Damian Grammaticas in Jakarta says that Mr Wahid has pushed Indonesia to the very brink.

Mr Wahid has repeatedly warned that the giant country could break apart if parliament tries to remove him from office.

Wahid: "Let the people decide"

As Mr Wahid spoke, some 2,000 soldiers and 70 tanks and armoured vehicles were camped outside his palace.

Lieutenant General Ryamizard Ryacudu, the commander of the army's elite strategic reserve, said it was a routine exercise and not meant to intimidate Mr Wahid, whose threats to declare a state of emergency and dissolve the national assembly have angered the military.

Democratic leader

The assembly elected Mr Wahid in October 1999 as Indonesia's first democratic leader in more than four decades.

Wahid timeline

1 Feb: Parliament censures Wahid over alleged corruption

30 Apr: Second censure from parliament

28 May: Corruption charges dropped

30 May: Parliament votes to impeach Wahid for 'incompetence'

20 Jul: Early impeachment session called

22 July: State of emergency declared

His deputy, Megawati, who leads Indonesia's largest political party, is the daughter of its founding leader and former President, Sukarno, who was impeached by the assembly amid political turmoil in 1966.

He was replaced by the dictator Suharto, who ruled until 1998.

Earlier on Sunday, bombs exploded at two churches in the capital, Jakarta, injuring more than 60 worshippers at a Roman Catholic church.

The bombs went off as people were attending Sunday morning services.

Police said there was a direct link between the explosions and the political crisis in the country.

Explosions

The first explosion went off inside the Santa Ana Catholic church, in the east of the city, shortly after 7am local time as about 700 people were attending mass.

The situation on the streets is tense

Part of the ceiling fell in, and windows were shattered. Among the injured were children and pregnant women.

The second explosion, minutes later at the Huriah Kristen Batak Protestant church, caused no injuries.

On Saturday, Mr Wahid appealed to his followers not to turn to violence - but warned that the popular mood might be hard to control.