Lindsay Murdoch, Jakarta – Jakarta's political elite are starting to wonder who is running Indonesia.

Amid growing criticism that Mr Abdurrahman Wahid has spent too much time overseas since being elected president on October 20, the former armed forces chief, General Wiranto, has emerged as the country's strongman.

Now the minister for political affairs and security, General Wiranto has taken charge of Cabinet meetings and set the agenda, according to government sources.

While Mr Wahid, who is near-blind, has flown around the world visiting 16 countries, little has been heard of the vice president, Mrs Megawati Sukarnoputri, who has been put in charge of trying to defuse escalating crises in Irian Jaya and Ambon. She remains aloof and regal, mostly seen at the airport either saying goodbye or welcome to Mr Wahid.

General Wiranto might be tainted by atrocities committed by troops under his command in East Timor but he shows no sign of contrition or wanting to fade into the background. It appears he also thinks it his job to issue presidential orders.

As Mr Wahid was in China meeting President Jiang Zemin yesterday, General Wiranto's office issued a press statement attributed to President "Abdurrachman" Wahid ordering law enforcement agencies to "take every measure and action to enforce the law against anyone who violates the constitution and law".

Coming amid calls from top military officers for the introduction of martial law in Aceh, the statement appealed to "people to be on alert against the possibility of security disturbances and threats aimed at fostering social conflict and behaviour that could lead toward the disintegration of the people and the nation".

No-one in the State Secretariat at the Palace where Mr Wahid lives when he is in Jakarta could explain the misspelling of the president's first name or confirm the unsigned statement. Officials travelling with the president also had no explanation, according to the Jakarta Post.

A spokesman in General Wiranto's office said Mr Wahid gave the statement to General Wiranto before he flew to China. But, curiously, it was not printed on State Secretariat stationery, as was Mr Wahid's first and only confirmed presidential press statement clearing a minister of corruption.