Megawati in urgent talks with military

Mr Wahid is desperately trying to save his presidency

The Indonesian Vice-President, Megawati Sukarnoputri, has held an emergency meeting with the country's army chief amid speculation about a possible reshuffle of top military commanders.

Mrs Megawati cancelled a long-planned trip to Bali and rushed back to Jakarta from Singapore for the meeting.

Top military commanders warned President Abdurrahman Wahid earlier this week that they would not support his plans to declare a state of emergency and dissolve parliament.

Megawati enjoys widespread popular support

Mr Wahid faces possible impeachment by parliament over corruption allegations.

The BBC's Jakarta correspondent, Richard Galpin, says it is assumed that Mrs Megawati and the generals discussed the possibility of Mr Wahid reshuffling top military commanders, so that he could bring in generals who would be more compliant.

Mr Wahid is now reported to have denied this.

Wahid decree

However, reliable sources say Mr Wahid has signed a presidential decree for a military reshuffle, although he has not yet released it.

Parliament has now censured Mr Wahid twice over corruption allegations. If he does not give a satisfactory response within the next 10 days, then it is highly likely MPs will push ahead with plans to impeach him.

Mr Wahid, who has denied the corruption allegations, is desperately trying to find a way to save his presidency, our correspondent says.

Political tension

A senior official in Mrs Megawati's party told the BBC that the army chief, General Endriartono Sutarto, had called her while she was in Singapore on Friday.

The president must consider the larger interests of the people and the nation

Army chief General Sutarto

He said the general had advised Mrs Megawati to return to Jakarta as political tension was rising.

She came back the same night, and held talks with the generals into the early hours of the morning.

Headlines in Jakarta newspapers quoted a warning from General Sutarto that Mr Wahid should not try to replace senior military officers with more compliant commanders.

"The president must consider the larger interests of the people and the nation," the Jakarta Post quoted the general as saying.

The military, which kept former dictator Suharto in power for more than 30 years, has remained largely neutral in Indonesia's current leadership struggle.

But the military's 38 MPs voted for the two parliament censures of Mr Wahid, and both General Sutarto and navy chief Admiral Indroko Sastorwiryono have both warned Mr Wahid against dissolving parliament.

Mr Wahid on Friday denied that he had ever suggested disbanding the lower house of parliament. It is due to meet on May 30 to decide whether to call a special session of the upper house which could impeach him.

Mr Wahid is due to address the nation on state television on Sunday.