Jakarta denies Wahid to declare state of emergency

Wahid is due to address the nation Sunday evening to mark an anti-colonial day of remembrance

JAKARTA, Indonesia -- A spokesman for Indonesia's President Abdurrahman Wahid denied the Muslim cleric was planning to declare a state of emergency to hang on to power.

Rumors have swept Jakarta that Wahid would implement the measure to end the political infighting that has dominated Indonesian politics of late.

Presidential spokesman Adhie Massardi on Sunday blamed Wahid's political enemies and elements within the military for a flood of rumors, but added that the president had discussed such drastic action.

"Gus Dur does not have an intention to declare a state of emergency," Massardi told Reuters, using Wahid's nickname.

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"He has discussed it in the sense he wants to know what sort of conditions need to be applied in order to have a state of emergency. The reason why he discussed it was because he had received input from ordinary people who said the [political situation] was not feasible," he said.

Indonesia's cabinet has scheduled an emergency meeting later Sunday as speculation mounts the fragile country's political crisis is coming to a head over Wahid's alleged role in two financial scandals.

Massardi said Wahid would leave for central Java after lunch to meet Muslim leaders. He said the cabinet could discuss political or economic issues, but gave no details.

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It was unclear if Indonesia's Vice President, Megawati Sukarnoputri, who will succeed Wahid if he falls, would attend the cabinet meeting after abruptly canceling two trips outside Jakarta on Saturday because of the growing political tension.

Military support

Megawati held an emergency meeting with top military generals Saturday to discuss reports Wahid would soon replace them.

Megawati

Wahid has denied he would sack army chief Gen. Endriartono Sutarto, who has vocally opposed any move against parliament.

"If a presidential decree (to dissolve parliament) is issued it will kill the...country's democracy," Sutarto told reporters after a ceremony with scores of retired generals on Saturday, who also voiced their opposition against such an option.

The military has had historically a very powerful influence on politics. Former President Suharto used the military to control politics in Indonesia.

Thus far, the military is ostensibly withdrawing from an overt political role but they do remain key to resolving this particular crisis.

While many politicians bicker among themselves, they are often trying to woo military leaders hoping to win them to one side or the other.

The fact that Wahid has actually discussed a state of emergency -- even if only in response to the concern of ordinary Indonesians -- will only heighten speculation he will not leave the fractured political scene without a fight.

Wahid set to dig in

Indeed, what has unnerved many in Jakarta is that Wahid's insistence he would not take tough action against parliament has failed to calm the military or MPs, who keep urging him not to plunge the world's fourth most populous country into more turmoil.

Army chief Gen. Endriartono Sutarto

The Muslim cleric has previously denied he wanted to dissolve the increasingly hostile parliament, which would first require a state of emergency to be imposed.

Nineteen months into his rule as Indonesia's first democratically elected leader, the ailing and nearly blind Wahid finds himself increasingly isolated since parliament censured him twice over the two scandals. He has denied any wrongdoing.

Despite the intrigue, Jakarta appeared calm on Sunday. But time appears to be running out for Wahid.

Parliament meets on May 30 when it is expected to ask the top legislature, the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR), to convene an impeachment hearing over Wahid's role in the two scandals.

Wahid has so far refused to compromise by sharing power with the popular Megawati. He has also said he would not respond to the second censure, as required.

The MPR comprises the 500 members of parliament and 200 appointed regional representatives. It alone has the power to sack presidents.

Wahid is due to address the nation Sunday evening to mark an anti-colonial day of remembrance, but officials have indicated his speech would not contain any bombshells.

Officials from Megawati's Indonesian Democratic Party-Struggle (PDI-P) said she shelved her plans to visit supporters in Bali and East Java province over the weekend because of the growing crisis.

Reuters contributed to this report.