Jakarta – The following is a brief chronology of the main events in Indonesian President Abdurrahman Wahid's nine months in power.
Wahid announced Wednesday that he would hand day-to-day running of the government to vice president Megawati Sukarnoputri.
Oct 20: Wahid, a moderate Muslim scholar, is elected president by the 700-strong People's Consultative Assembly (MPR), defeating Megawati Sukarnoputri in a ballot. Megawati's defeat sparked angry reactions from her supporters, who rampaged on the streets as soon as the result was known.
Oct 21: Megawati elected vice president by the MPR, ending rioting by her supporters.
Oct 26: Wahid's choice of a 35-member "rainbow" or "unity" cabinet, composed of members of parties that backed his election, elicits concern over its lack of cohesion and professionalism.
Oct 27: The new government announces it will reopen a corruption probe into former president Suharto.
Nov 1: Wahid said he would pardon former president Suharto if he is found guilty of corruption.
Nov 4: Wahid said the rebellious Aceh province had the right to a referendum.
Nov 18: Wahid irked parliament when he likened legislators to kindergarten children during a session in which the president was asked to explain his decision to close two ministries.
Jan 17: Wahid said he would not tolerate any attempts by the military to topple his government.
Jan 23: Wahid expressed confidence that the problems in the country's major trouble spots, the province of Aceh and the Maluku islands, would be resolved by March.
Feb 1: Wahid, who was on a state visit to London, called on security minister Wiranto to resign from the cabinet immediately because of his involvement in East Timor violence.
Feb 13: Wahid removed General Wiranto as his security minister over his implication in East Timor violence, winning kudos for taming the military.
Feb 23: Top legislator Amien Rais assured Wahid that his presidency was not under threat.
Feb 24: The physically frail Wahid cancels all appointments after contracting influenza, sending jitters through the financial markets.
March 14: Wahid said some top military officers were conspiring to undermine his government.
April 24: Wahid orders two of his economic ministers to resign, citing disunity in his six-month old cabinet.
April 26: The Indonesian rupiah passes the 8,000-mark against the dollar as its free-fall continues following the political turmoil.
April 27: Leaders of the Indonesian parliament aired criticism of Wahid, including the abrupt dismissals of two ministers, but did not drop their support for his presidency.
May 10: The president's youngest brother, Hasyim Wahid, who has little relevant experience, appointed to join the bank restructuring agency, sparking accusations of cronyism.
May 12: Indonesia and separatist rebels in Aceh sign a truce.
May 24: Wahid asked police to arrest a man employed as his masseur for allegedly using his name to embezzle 35 billion rupiah (4.1 million dollars) in state funds
June 6: Wahid said his government did not recognize the legitimacy of a congress which declared the province of Irian Jaya independent from Indonesia.
June 15: Police said they would seek to question Wahid as a witness in a multi-million dollar embezzlement scam involving his masseur, despite his declared innocence in the case.
June 28: A parliamentary commission warned Wahid to put future overseas trips on hold because he had used up most of his annual travel allowance.
July 1: Wahid said that several MPs were behind the violent unrest and problems that have beset the country in the past two years.
July 4: Wahid denied press reports that he had ordered the police to arrest several MPs accused of stoking violence in the country.
July 4: A parliamentary commission said it would question Wahid's official medical team to determine the ramifications of his health problems and the team's competence.
July 13: Wahid said that he had no intention of running for a second term as leader of the world's fourth largest nation when his current term ends in
July 20: Wahid answered a summons from parliament, but refused to agree to demands for an explanation on why he fired two ministers in April, sparking widespread criticism.
July 21: Wahid apologized to parliament and said he would answer the questions he had refused to reply to on July 20, but only behind closed doors.
July 24: MPs decided to postpone the issuance of an opinion on Wahid's failure to explain the April sacking of two ministers, until after the annual session of the national assembly in August.
July 29: Thousands of people gathered in a sports stadium in the capital in a mass show of support for beleaguered Wahid and Megawati .
Aug 1: Wahid met the country's top politicians in a bid to ease political tension ahead of the MPR annual sesssion.
Aug 7: Wahid said during his address to the MPR annual session that he would reshuffle his cabinet and take a back seat after the national assembly completes the session later this month.
Aug 8: Wahid is flayed by MPs, who accused him of causing new problems through weak management during his nine months in office.
Aug 9: Wahid bowed to intense pressure and pledged to hand responsiblity for the day-to-day running of the government to Megawati.