Jakarta – The Golkar party, Indonesia's second largest political party, announced yesterday that it would not support calls by certain MPs for President Abdurrahman Wahid to resign.

Golkar chairman Akbar Tanjung was quoted by the Satunet on-line news service as saying the party would not seek Mr Abdurrahman's resignation, but it would continue to criticise his policies whenever necessary. "The spirit is to remind the President that he needs to improve his performance and the ways he manages the government," Mr Tanjung said.

Mr Tanjung, who also chairs the People's Representative Council (DPR), was speaking a few days after an informal meeting of more than 100 legislators called for Mr Abdurrahman to step down, citing his alleged failure to improve the country's economic, social and political conditions.

Mr Abdurrahman's former chief economic minister, Kwik Kian Gie, who instigated the meeting, is now pushing for the call to be endorsed by the whole legislature. Mr Kwik and others are seeking a special session of the powerful People's Consultative Assembly to revoke Mr Abdurrahman's mandate and effectively oust him from office.

Golkar, the party that for 32 years dominated the country's politics under former President Suharto, has joined the Indonesian Democracy Party-Struggle (PDIP), the country's largest party, in not seeking the President's ouster before his term ends in 2004.

The PDIP holds 153 seats at the 500-seat DPR while Golkar holds 120 seats. Mr Abdurrahman's National Awakening Party, the fourth-largest party, has 51 seats.