Indonesia's sacked leader quits country

Mr Wahid initially refused to leave the palace

Indonesia's former President, Abdurrahman Wahid, has flown out of the country, three days after being dismissed by parliament.

His exit ends a three day stand-off during which he had refused to abandon the presidential palace, in spite of being dismissed by parliament on Monday for alleged incompetence and corruption.

Mr Wahid is heading to the US for medical treatment. He is accompanied by five doctors and several relatives.

I will come back and continue fighting for democracy

Abdurrahman Wahid

Mr Wahid has very poor general health, although the BBC's Jakarta correspondent, Richard Galpin, says his decision to seek treatment abroad appears to be a face-saving act.

Meanwhile, Indonesia has sworn in a new vice-president - the leader of the Muslim-based United Development Party, Hamzah Haz.

He will serve under Mr Wahid's successor, Megawati Sukarnoputri.

Waiting supporters

Mr Haz defeated his rival, Golkar party chairman Akbar Tanjung, in the third round of a close election that was spread over two days.

There was a rowdy but peaceful crowd outside the palace as Mr Wahid's car drove through central Merdeka (Freedom) Square.

About 2,000 flag-waving supporters greeted the leader with shouts of "Gus! Gus!" - Mr Wahid's nickname.

"I will come back and continue fighting for democracy," he told his cheering supporters.

Medical needs

He is expected to go to Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland.

Mr Wahid is nearly blind and has had two strokes in recent years. He suffers from high blood pressure and diabetes and cannot walk unaided.

Immediately after his dismissal, the 60-year-old called the move "illegal" and said he would fight it.

Hamzah Haz is a leading Muslim

And on Thursday morning, as he prepared to leave the palace, he said he would return to Indonesia as one of the few voices for democracy.

"I am painting a gloomy picture," he told reporters.

Friends and family say he has accepted his sacking and will try to organise civil opposition to what he fears will be attempts by the military to take over power.

Political race

Mr Haz's victory in the vote for vice-president was announced in a live television broadcast from parliament.

He defeated lower house speaker Mr Tanjung by 340-237, with the rest of the 694-member assembly either abstaining or boycotting the vote.

Three other candidates, retired generals Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Agum Gumelar, and former Suharto minister Siswono Yudo Husodo, were knocked out on Wednesday.

"I feel grateful for the trust the [assembly] has shown me and I hope I can help president Megawati," said Mr Haz.

Muslim victory

Our correspondent says the election of Mr Haz will be seen as a victory for the Muslim community, as he was chosen to balance the more nationalist forces represented by Megawati.

There had been angry protests against Tanjung

If Mr Tanjung had been elected, it would have further angered hundreds of students who have been protesting against him outside parliament.

Former President Suharto used Mr Tanjung's Golkar party to maintain himself in power for more than three decades, and many people feared a victory for Mr Tanjung would signal a return to that regime.

Megawati's Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle did not put forward a candidate against Mr Haz, but our correspondent says they will make a strange alliance.

Mr Haz, whose party is the third largest in parliament, has repeatedly said he does not think Indonesia, the world's largest Muslim country, should have a woman president.

He helped dash Megawati's presidential hopes in 1999, and then lost the vice-presidency to her.