Indonesia Forces Stage Exercises

Thousands of police and soldiers staged a show of force outside Indonesia’s parliament Tuesday amid fears of violence in the lead-up to next month’s expected ouster of President Abdurrahman Wahid.

Police and army chiefs reviewed about 6,000 troops inside the heavily guarded parliamentary complex. A dozen armored vehicles and lines of police motorcycles were parked nearby.

“Anyone looking for trouble will be met by security officers,” said People’s Consultative Assembly speaker Amien Rais, who is one of Wahid’s fiercest political foes.

In Tangerang, west of Jakarta, troops staged a simulated evacuation of assembly members in case of violence at the upcoming session to determine Wahid’s fate.

The assembly is to convene Aug. 1 to demand that Wahid deliver a report on his 20 months as president. A majority of lawmakers plans to reject the president’s accountability speech, a move that would end his troubled presidency.

On Tuesday, Wahid said he was confident that he and his deputy, Megawati Sukarnoputri, would remain in power until 2004, the state news agency Antara reported.

Authorities said they were preparing a secret venue to hold the assembly hearing if unrest threatens the parliament building, news reports said Tuesday.