Jakarta Assembly Reopens Wahid Impeachment Hearing

06/04/2001| IslamWeb

PHOTO CAPTION:JAKARTA (Reuters) - Indonesia's top assembly resumed impeachment proceedings against President Abdurrahman Wahid on Monday, defying the embattled leader's order to disband.

The supreme People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) is almost certain to dump Wahid, possibly within hours, after the Muslim cleric declared a state of emergency earlier on Monday and ordered police to block the (Read photo caption below)session.

Jakarta's police chief has ordered his personnel to guard the top assembly to allow the session to proceed, the official Antara news agency has reported, underscoring Wahid's isolation as he tries desperately to stay in office.

Adding to Wahid's fragile grip on power, Vice President Megawati Sukarnoputri arrived to attend the session. She is widely expected to soon take over the fragile country.

The MPR hearing commenced on Saturday and was called primarily over Wahid's erratic leadership of the world's fourth most populous country.

PHOTO CAPTION:

Indonesia's embattled President Abdurrahman Wahid declared a state of emergency July 23, 2001, assuming wide-ranging powers just hours before an impeachment hearing that was expected to dump him. Wahid said in a brief nationally -televised address he was acting to save the troubled nation. Indonesian Marine tanks rolls through the street in central Jakarta July 22, 2001. A convoy of dozens of tanks, armored personnel carriers and trucks convened at Merdeka (Freedom) Square in the center of town in a display of force ahead of a special session of the country's highest legislative body. (Dadang Tri/Reut