Parties demand President’s sacking

The two largest parties in Indonesia’s national assembly, which combined represent a majority of MPs, were today demanding that President Abdurrahman Wahid be dismissed and replaced immediately by Vice President Megawati Sukarnoputri.

Indonesian armed forces chief Admiral Widodo Adisutjipto also said the military had rejected Wahid’s orders to dissolve the assembly.

Wahid was lying low at the presidential palace but aides said he would fight to stay in office.

‘‘He plans to do whatever it takes to maintain the integrity of the country and the constitution,’’ said spokesman Adhi Massardi. He did not elaborate, but said Wahid maintained that moves to oust him were illegal.

The national assembly opened an impeachment hearing today in defiance of an emergency decree by Wahid, who had demanded earlier in the day that it be suspended and closed down by military force.

Indonesia’s financial markets, which have been dragged down by months of political uncertainty, rose dramatically on expectations of Megawati’s elevation.

In speeches to the assembly, Megawati’s Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle, the legislature’s largest bloc, and the second-ranked Golkar Party, both condemned Wahid’s 21-month old administration and denounced his attempts to avoid being ousted.

Together, they represent 367 votes in the 695-member body and their stand against Wahid effectively sealed his political fate.

Agus Chondro Prayitno, of Megawati’s party, described Wahid’s actions as authoritarian.

‘‘He must be dismissed from his position,’’ he said.

‘‘President Wahid has taken dictatorial steps and has clearly violated the constitution,’’ said Happy Zulkarnaen, a spokesman for Golkar, the one-time political machine for former despot, Suharto.

The session opened despite Wahid’s pre-dawn order to the security forces to shut down the legislature and proceedings. Instead, troops and tanks were deployed to protect MPs.

Megawati arrived at the heavily guarded parliament building just minutes before the hearing started. She was warmly applauded as she entered its main chamber and took a seat at the front.

Assembly chairman Amien Rais had predicted that she could be installed as president by midday (0600 BST).

Wahid’s removal from office would be the second ousting of a serving head of state in Southeast Asia this year.

In January, President Joseph Estrada of the Philippines was swept from office amid corruption allegations and huge public protests. He was immediately replaced by his vice president, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.

Wahid became Indonesia’s first democratic head of state in 44 years when the same assembly elected him in October, 1999, choosing him over Megawati.

But relations with MPs, many of them holdovers from the 32-year dictatorship of former President Suharto, quickly soured his attempts to end corruption and reform the state bureaucracy and armed forces.

His opponents accused him of erratic policymaking and failing to fix the crisis-ridden economy or resolving several bloody sectarian and separatist conflicts.

The push to remove him from office began last year when he was linked to two corruption scandals. He has denied any wrongdoing and has been cleared by police and prosecutors.