Jonathan Thatcher, Jakarta – The speaker of Indonesia's top legislative assembly on Monday said President Abdurrahman Wahid should quit, accusing him of being stupid, corrupt and of leading the nation to ruin.
Wahid's 17 months as Indonesia's first democratically elected leader have been plagued by violence and economic crisis and he faces increasingly formidable political opposition which could force him from office within months.
"Wahid was very stupid in taking all the problems so easily. He was not serious," said Amien Rais, who has played a key role in the downfall of one president and the election of another.
"I believe that if he does not resign he will be impeached, that's for sure," he told Reuters in an interview. Rais heads the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR), which has the power to impeach the president.
Quickly disillusioned
Rais, who helped form a largely Muslim-based coalition which brought Wahid to power and kept Vice President Megawati Sukarnoputri out, said he quickly became disillusioned with the Muslim cleric's ruling style.
"He wanted to have a crony cabinet and instead of addressing the problems, I think he is committing many, many disservices to the nation." Rais, not coy about his own presidential ambitions, was at the vanguard of popular protest which helped bring down long-serving autocrat Suharto three years ago.
That paved the way for what has turned out to be a turbulent transition and a far from complete transition to democracy that has been accompanied by ever louder political squabbling.
Rais supporters were central to last month's parliamentary censure of Wahid over two financial scandals which many analysts say is turning increasingly towards a process of impeachment that could push Wahid from office by August.
But the 57-year old former leader of the country's second largest Muslim organisation – the biggest was headed by Wahid – ruled out suggestions of some sort of power-sharing deal with Megawati so that Wahid stay in office until the end of his term in 2004.
"I don't trust him any longer and the shape of this republic is shrinking very slowly but very systematically too," he said in his spacious Jakarta home, a perk of the job, surrounded by mostly Islamic decorations and, in the entrance, two large photographs of himself.
"When we chose [Wahid] ... he seemed very moderate, very honest. It was almost unthinkable to imagine him as a corrupt leader ... there was not the slightest indication that he loved money and worldly things."
Megawati would be better
Rais struggled a little when asked whether Megawati, whom he had so vehemently opposed for president in 1999, would make a better leader. Under the constitution, she would automatically take over if the president leaves office.
"Of course it's very difficult to make a judgement and I don't want to make a judgement about the leadership. But at least she can see," he said, referring to the fact Wahid is almost blind.
"Megawati also listens to other people, while my brother Abdurrahman Wahid never listens to anybody. So at least based on these two things, there is a high probability that she will make a better president."
Megawati is hugely popular, leads the country's largest party and commands huge support among the poor, but is often pilloried for the silence that has marked most of her time in office.
Rais skirted the question of whether he was worried by allegations of rampant corruption in the Megawati camp, often concerning her husband's business interests.
"If it's true, of course, it'll become a liability to her, but for the time being I don't want to be trapped by this kind of rumour," he said.
But he dismissed fears Wahid supporters – already up in arms over February's parliamentary censure and often focusing their fury on Rais – would turn even more violent if Wahid was forced out. "[Wahid's supporters] are so subservient to the government," he said, adding they were only causing problems now because their leader was president."