By Susan Sim, Jakarta – Vice-President Megawati Sukarnoputri is not fully convinced that Parliament has sound constitutional reasons to impeach President Abdurrahman Wahid on the basis of the second censure that it is set to slap on him next Monday.

But she may have no choice except to join demands for his resignation if the political climate reaches boiling point here. Key aides to the taciturn heir-apparent told The Straits Times that she "prefers not to play politics now as the ball will come to her sooner or later".

Nonetheless, to avoid physical conflict, she is open to the idea that Mr Abdurrahman gives up all executive powers to her without being forced to step down from the post.

Pressures on her to call for his resignation are great, coming both from hardliners within her party - the Indonesian Democratic Party-Struggle (PDI-P) - key advisers in the administration and army generals who are as concerned as she is about the possibility of anarchy setting in.

So far, she is keeping all of them guessing as to her next moves. While it will probably take street-fighting between supporters and opponents of the President in the capital to force her to tip her hand, she has meanwhile given her PDI-P legislators the go-ahead to vote for the second censure memorandum against the President next week, aides in her office as well as the party confirmed.

Indeed, in scrutinising a draft of a review of Mr Abdurrahman's behaviour in the last three months, she gave specific instructions that he was to be taken to task over his warning last week of a "nationwide rebellion" against Parliament should it censure him again.

However, voting for this second censure does not necessarily mean that she supports a full impeachment hearing a month later since the current stated grounds – his alleged complicity in two graft scandals – smack more of a political vendetta than his violation of the oath or state guidelines.

The PDI-P is thus not expected to berate him in very harsh tones on Monday, an aide said, adding that some negotiations were ongoing which might result in gentler language being used. He noted that Ms Megawati's immediate goal is to lower the political temperature.

Topping a shortlist of probable scenarios is the option of the President remaining in office so as to avoid grassroots conflict. Under one of these, he will be on "sick leave" for the remainder of his term so that all executive powers are transferred to her.

But party hardliners are insisting that any deal with Gus Dur is unworkable because of his penchant for trying to manipulate her.

And the unity of the PDI-P is of paramount importance to her. An aide said: "So, she's got to take care of the feelings of the hardliners too. This might mean she has to tell the Number One to resign."

Army generals are also pushing her to demand his resignation. The generals are concerned that their own military headquarters might instruct their 38 legislative appointees to abstain from voting for a second censure and run the risk of the body politic misreading their neutrality as capitulation.

One of the scenarios senior army generals have talked about is the Philippine model: If fighting erupts on the streets of Jakarta after Sunday, the army will refuse orders by the President to carry out emergency measures.

Instead, it will withdraw support from him and pull troops out of the palace. That will be Ms Megawati's cue to declare Mr Abdurrahman incapable of carrying out his duties and demand his resignation. When that happens, the army will back her succession as constitutional and await her orders to crack down on the violence.

Will she act in the face of violence? Yes, said a key adviser in her office, who added: "If there is violence on or after April 29, that is like suicide for Gus Dur. "He will prove himself not to be a pure democrat. Ibu Mega will have to tell him to resign because he is no longer suitable to be the leader of the nation."