Turmoil remains as Wahid packs his bags

The race for new President Megawati Sukarnoputri's vice president is still on

JAKARTA, Indonesia -- The unprecedented political unity that saw Indonesian legislators dump their first democratically elected leader two days ago has collapsed as they squabble over the spoils of power.

The top assembly failed to elect a deputy for new President Megawati Sukarnoputri -- vital to shaping her new government -- despite hours of politicking and two rounds of voting late into Wednesday night.

The assembly reconvened Thursday and a final result is expected around midday local time (0400 GMT).

Leading contender Hamzah Haz, head of the Muslim-oriented United Development Party, will face off against parliament speaker and Golkar party chief Akbar Tandjung.

The front-runner is a Muslim who helped kill Megawati's presidential bid in 1999 because he said women were unfit to lead the world's largest Muslim nation.

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His opponent is a rival of Megawati who stood by as then-president Suharto tried to crush her in the mid-1990s. The failure to fill the post as scheduled underscored the instability of the unlikely alliance that ousted former leader Abdurrahman Wahid for incompetence 21 months into a five-year term.

It sent a warning that Megawati's coalition could become as fractious as Wahid's.

Underscoring the job ahead, the Jakarta Post newspaper said in an editorial on Wednesday that what Indonesia probably needed was not Megawati as leader, but a "mega-president."

Local media quoted officials from the Muslim-oriented United Development Party (PPP) as saying they would refuse to allow its members to join Megawati's government if a rival party candidate became vice president.

PPP is the third largest party in parliament and wants its candidate to be Megawati's deputy over Akbar Tandjung, head of the former ruling Golkar party and current House speaker.

Golkar is the second largest party after Megawati's Indonesia Democratic Party-Struggle.

However the first big challenge confronting Megawati has seemingly been met, with her ousted predecessor preparing to leave the presidential palace.

Wahid, who has so far refused to acknowledge he has been sacked, will leave the palace to seek medical advice in the U.S.

Wahid's brother and former chief doctor, Umar Wahid, said Wednesday the ousted president would leave "as soon as possible".

Wahid had dismissed his ousting this week by the top legislative assembly as illegal.

"In recent weeks he has had a lot of burdens. For that reason, we feel that he needs a check-up and preventive action," said Umar Wahid, adding his brother would go to the Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore.

Palace sources told CNN the mood inside the presidential palace was somber and conciliatory, with Wahid apparently resigned to his fate.

Wahid's departure to the U.S. for medical check-ups follows months of stress relating to his eventual impeachment. Wahid is almost blind and as a result of strokes, can barely walk.

Yusuf Misbach, another of Wahid's doctors, said the former president had been examined over the past few days "considering his physical, emotional, thought burden which he faced."

"The evaluation shows a risk increase of a recurrence of the diseases he suffered before he became president," he said.

On Monday the People's Consultative Assembly voted 591-0 to repeal the legislative act that put Wahid in power nearly two years ago.

The Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) meeting in Hanoi welcomed Megawati's election and offered hope that she would lead the country towards greater stability.

Reuters contributed to this report.