Lindsay Murdoch, Jakarta – Scores of MPs backed a petition calling for the immediate convening of a special session of Parliament to force the resignation of President Abdurrahman Wahid, as riot police fired warning shots to disperse thousands of rampaging Wahid loyalists in East Java.

However, Vice-President Megawati Sukarnoputri, whose support is crucial to Mr Wahid, made it clear she has no intention of backing moves to topple him before his term ends in 2004.

Yesterday, thousands of Wahid supporters set fire to the headquarters of the former ruling Golkar party in the East Java town of Situbondo, 800 kilometres east of Jakarta.

"There were thousands of them and they just went on a rampage ... half of the building is burnt," one police officer said.

Late on Sunday mobs attacked and burnt down Golkar offices in two neighbouring towns in Mr Wahid's home province, stoking fears of violence between rival political groups.

Leaders of the 30-million strong Nahdlatul Ulama, the country's largest Islamic group which Mr Wahid chaired for 15 years, warned they could not stop their members venting anger over Parliament's treatment of the President.

Sources said though Ms Megawati was deeply unhappy with Mr Wahid's leadership, she believed she would be politically damaged if she took office amid the upheaval of his downfall.

Ms Megawati's Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), which controls the largest bloc of seats in parliament, last week backed a parliamentary censure motion against Mr Wahid, prompting speculation she was prepared to bring him down.

But the head of the party's political bureau, Mr Cornelius Lay, was quoted by the Jakarta Post yesterday as saying Ms Megawati would not take part in what he called a "political conspiracy" against Mr Wahid.

"Mega doesn't want to see the president unseated before his or her term ends," Mr Cornelius said. "If she joins the political drive to topple Gus Dur from the presidency, a similar thing can occur to her if she becomes president in the future."

Influential people close to Ms Megawati, the country's most popular politician at 1999 polls, are advising her to bide her time and either stand for election in 2004 or wait to see if Mr Wahid succumbs to the growing political pressure and resigns.

But MPs from Ms Megawati's party are among more than 100 who have signed a petition calling for Mr Wahid to resign. Many are also backing another petition calling for the urgent convening of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR), the top legislature, to try to force his removal.

The deputy chief of the party's parliamentary faction, Mr Meilono Soewondo, said MPs were signing the petition in their personal capacity, not as party representatives. "No matter whether the PDI-P supports the petition or not, Gus Dur should have the will to resign for the nation's sake," he said.

Mr Ahmad Hafiz Zawawi, an MP from Golkar, the party that kept the former president Soeharto in power for 32 years, said the petition involved MPs from all parties exercising their right to "find a way to accelerate the special session".

Mr Wahid received a memorandum from parliament at the weekend, rebuking him over the scandals involving $US4 million stolen from the state food agency Bulog and a $US2 million donation from the Sultan of Brunei. He has denied any wrongdoing.