'Wahid won't be impeached'

Wahid is to be called to account

By Richard Galpin in Yogyakarta

One of Indonesia's most senior politicians has said there will be no attempt to impeach President Abdurrahman Wahid at the forthcoming annual session of the country's highest legislative body.

Amien Rais, chairman of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR), made his remarks after attending a crisis meeting of the country's senior politicians in southern Java.

The meeting, organised by the sultan of the royal city of Yogyakarta, was aimed at defusing mounting political tension in the run-up to next week's assembly session.

There has been fierce criticism of President Wahid's coalition government, which only came to power last October.

So much so that there had even been talk of trying to remove Mr Wahid from power during when the MPR meets.

But Mr Rais firmly ruled that out following the crisis talks at the Sultan's palace.

He told the BBC he could give a 100% guarantee that there would be no impeachment motion when the MPR opens next week.

Turmoil

Mr Rais, who has been one of the most vocal critics of the government, described the talks with the president, vice-president and speaker of parliament as very productive, and he said he believed political tensions would now be reduced.

President Wahid himself also emerged from the meeting to tell journalists that the talks had been a success and had been held in a positive atmosphere.

An official statement released at the end of the meeting said the political leaders were aware that the conflict between them was damaging the country as it tries to recover from two years of political and economic turmoil.

And it said they were aware that only by working together in unity could the country's problems be resolved.

Stormy

But all this is no guarantee that the political parties really have made any substantial progress towards resolving their differences.

The president is still likely to face a stormy session of the MPR next week when he will have to give the assembly an account of the government's achievements.

Mr Wahid has been accused of everything from sacking senior cabinet ministers with no good reason, to mishandling the economy and allowing separatists and sectarian conflicts to continue around the country, threatening the integrity of the nation.

Mr Wahid's party controls less than 10% of the MPR, which is made up of the 500 members of parliament and 200 appointees and has the power to sack the president.