Indonesian meeting called success

A leading delegate at a meeting of political leaders in Indonesia said they have been successful in their efforts to defuse tension between them.

The chairman of the country's top legislature, Amien Rais, said the meeting, held in the royal city of Yogyakarta, had reduced bickering between Indonesia's main powerbrokers.

The gathering was called by the sultan of the ancient Javanese city six days before an annual meeting of the People's Consultative Assembly -- Indonesia's highest legislative body.

At that meeting, President Abdurrahman Wahid, is expected to come under intense criticism for what observers call his unpredictable style and patchy political record after less than a year in office.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service