Devi Asmarani, Jakarta – Political compromise, intimidation, constitutional deadlock and a divide-and-rule approach to weaken his enemies are some of the options that Mr Abdurrahman Wahid would likely turn to, so as to prevent the People's Consultative Assembly from impeaching him in August.

Political observers have already dismissed as ineffective his threat to impose martial law if no compromise is reached by July 20. Aside from lacking military support, it would only fuel Parliament's efforts to expedite the general session to impeach him.

Instead, Mr Abdurrahman would likely continue backdoor dealings with his political opponents. Said Mr Kusnanto Anggoro of the Centre for Strategic Information Studies: "The political elites are very inconsistent, they change their stance easily."

The President's team of lobbyists, which includes some of his Cabinet ministers, have been working to negotiate with leaders of major political parties to convince them to drop their plan to remove him.

If reconciliation appears distant, he could go for political intimidation by prosecuting politicians on alleged graft charges. The Attorney-General's office is already probing several MPs – including House speaker Akbar Tandjung and Indonesian Democratic Party-Struggle's Arifin Panigoro.

The move seemed to have softened Mr Akbar, Golkar Party's chairman, who said recently there was no need to speed up a special session to hold impeachment hearings.

Mr Abdurrahman could also take advantage of the constitutional deadlock over procedural matters in the special session. He had argued that the Assembly could not make him give accountability reports during the session as it was unconstitutional.

Ridep think-tank's Mr Sudjati Djiwandono said: "It is true that the Constitution says the President only gives accountability reports at the end of his term."

Political observers also noted that Mr Abdurrahman had managed to create internal rifts in some of the institutions that had shown declining support for him. His move to sack defiant Police Chief General Suroyo Bimantoro has fuelled a split within the police force between those who supported the general's leadership and those who thought the President's order should be complied with.

Within the military, the President has fuelled rifts between top officers who support him and those who oppose his move to meddle in its internal affairs.

But in the end, money politics "may play an important role in his last-ditch efforts to survive the presidency," said Mr Kusnanto.

If the Assembly votes in secret rather than openly on whether to accept his report at the August session, some politicians from rival parties could swing their vote for his camp, he said.