Parliament Demands Wahid Impeachment

J A K A R T A, Indonesia, May 30 -- Indonesia's Parliament overwhelmingpassed a censure motion today demanding that PresidentAbdurrahman Wahid be impeached.

Opponents predicted the 60-year-old, nearly blind Islamic clericcould be forced from power by August, while security forcesconfronted thousands of angry Wahid supporters outside thelegislature.

The censure, the third issued by Parliament this year, wasapproved 365-4. It formally asks the People's ConsultativeAssembly, Indonesia's top legislative body, to convene a specialsession and decide Wahid's political fate.

After a sometimes rowdy debate, seven out of the legislature's10 factions backed the measure that sets in motion a process thatcould see him replaced by his main rival, Vice President MegawatiSukarnoputri, the daughter of Indonesia's founding leader, Sukarno.

Members of Wahid's own party and a small Christian group walkedout before the vote was taken and 39 members of a factionrepresenting the military abstained.

'No Intention of Quitting'

Wahid said he has "no intention of quitting" or invokingearlier threats to declare a state or emergency and dissolveParliament, his spokesman said.

Wahid has long challenged the right of lawmakers to move againsthim. He did not attend today's parliamentary session, butinstead held a meeting of leaders from the G-15 group of developingnations at a nearby convention center.

In a letter read to Parliament on his behalf today, Wahidrejected the legislature's earlier reprimands, saying they "failedto specify what pledge of office" he violated.

Speaking on the sidelines of the summit, Foreign Minister AlwiShihab predicted Wahid could still strike a deal with his opponentsto save his presidency.

Violence Erupts

About 6,000 Wahid supporters, many carrying sticks and knives,rallied at the gates of the heavily guarded legislature anddemanded it be disbanded.

About 1,000 broke through a fence around the complex. They werekept away from its main building by four lines of troops backed byarmored vehicles and tanks. Police scuffled briefly with protestersand one officer activated a tear gas canister, apparently bymistake. The group dispersed peacefully as night fell.