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Wahid faces impeachment
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INDONESIA'S parliament yesterday overwhelmingly endorsed a report which found that President Abdurrahman Wahid acted improperly in two graft scandals, opening the way for possible impeachment.
The assembly now appears determined to force Wahid to answer the allegations, raising fears of a constitutional crisis in a nation that has long been wracked by politically-inspired violence. It is seen as the first step towards impeachment.
The move comes amid mounting frustration over Wahid's 15-month rule which has largely failed to pull Indonesia out of years of political and economic mess.
Parliament's speaker, his deputies and party chiefs are now meeting to draft options on what action should be taken against Wahid. The choices will later be put to the House.
Outside the sprawling parliamentary complex in central Jakarta, more than 15,000 pro and anti-Wahid protesters faced off in driving rain but there were no serious clashes by late afternoon.
The mounting pressure on Wahid could stop him from completing his term which ends in 2004.
Justice Minister Yusril Ihza Mahendra warned political tensions could trigger a repeat of the bloody social unrest that toppled former strongman Suharto in 1998. (SD-Agencies)
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