Martial Law an Option, Wahid Acknowledges

President Abdurrahman Wahid said Saturday that he has considered declaring martial law to stave off impeachment and urged his popular deputy to accept a power-sharing agreement. He warned that his ouster could trigger the breakup of the nation.

With parliament expected to call for his impeachment this week, Wahid acknowledged for the first time that he had discussed the possibility of dissolving the legislature. In comments to reporters, he did not say whether he has now ruled out that approach.

Wahid spoke a day after Vice President Megawati Sukarnoputri, who has emerged as his main rival, rejected his offer to surrender most of his power to her in exchange for a guarantee that her legislative allies would drop their campaign against him. Her aides said the deal was unconstitutional.

Megawati’s private secretary, Bambang Kesowo, said that during Friday’s Cabinet meeting, Wahid not only threatened to declare martial law but also to have people arrested and to call national elections within the next six months if parliament did not back down.

Wahid said Saturday that he hoped Megawati would change her mind and accept the deal. He also said he had no intention of resigning, asserting that his departure could plunge the country into chaos.

The president also accused legislators of abusing a constitutional mechanism to oust him. He has said there is insufficient evidence to justify the corruption charges being used against him.

“The best solution is to find a political solution that will not violate the constitution,” Wahid told reporters. “The developments look encouraging,” he said without elaborating.

But lawmakers, angered by Wahid’s talk of dissolving parliament, said they were more determined to press for his ouster. The 500-seat parliament has formally censured Wahid twice in recent months over allegations of corruption and incompetence and is scheduled to meet Wednesday to consider demanding his impeachment by the national assembly.

“His threat of martial law is a bluff. He has no power,” said lawmaker Alvin Lie, one of Wahid’s most vocal critics. “Wahid will be gone by the first week of August.”

The national assembly, which includes lawmakers, is expected to hold an impeachment hearing in early August.

Adding to Wahid’s woes, Indonesia’s second largest party, Golkar, denied his claim that it opposed an impeachment hearing.

Wahid, a 60-year-old Islamic scholar, is Indonesia’s first freely chosen head of state after four decades of authoritarian rule. The national assembly elected him over Megawati in October 1999.