Jakarta – People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) Speaker Amien Rais has given President Abdurrahman Wahid up to three months after the August session to beef up the performance of his administration.

"The Indonesian population of 210 million cannot be held hostage by one person named Abdurrahman Wahid. Whether or not he will continue as President will totally depend on the 700-member MPR, as it is stipulated in the democratic process," he told visiting students from various universities at his office.

The students aired their concern that Mr Abdurrahman was causing economic, investment, security and political uncertainties which they feared would lead to the disintegration of the country.

Dr Amien reiterated on Tuesday that the August session of the MPR would not be used to unseat the President. "He should be given a chance for two to three months after August and if he fails to improve himself and the country's economy, the people's mandate entrusted to Mr Abdurrahman should be returned," he told the students. "It's up to the people. In the session, I will only bang my gavel for the democratic processes of the 700 MPR members," he added.

The students rallied at the House complex to demand that the Assembly initiate a vote of no-confidence against the President in the upcoming session. They said the MPR should press Mr Abdurrahman to step down because he and his administration had failed to make any progress in their efforts to cope with the political instability and defuse the economic crisis.

Responding to the demand, Dr Amien said the majority of the MPR members remained critical of the government and that they had the final say on whether the President would continue to stay in power.

But he asserted the MPR has no plans to unseat Mr Abdurrahman from the presidency at the upcoming session. "The Assembly should stick to the rules of the game on how the General Session should be organised and it should respect the Constitution, which stipulates a five-year term in office for the President," he said.

Meanwhile, Irzan Tandjung, an economics professor at the University of Indonesia, warned that the situation in the country would worsen if Mr Abdurrahman was forced to step down in the Assembly session. "There is no guarantee that the political situation will get better if the current government is replaced.

According to intellectuals across the country, the situation will get worse if we have a new government, he said. "My point is that replacing the government will not solve the national crisis," Mr Irzan added.