Marianne Kearney, Jakarta – As Vice-President Megawati Sukarnoputri's legislators lobbed their strongest shot yet against President Abdurrahman Wahid, acting as shock troops in the attack on him, party members alike claim the attack was an attempt to persuade him that the game was up and resignation was his only sensible choice.

But given the President's well-known appetite for tough fights, a quiet resignation is unlikely. Therefore, yesterday's clear warning that Ms Megawati's PDI-P would push for impeachment, appears to be part of the elaborate play in convincing Mr Abdurrahman to begin negotiations to hand over the reigns.

As one commentator wryly noted, Mr Abdurrahman will be forced to start living in a grounded reality rather than the virtual reality he has inhabited until now. The harsh light of reality leaves him with two unsavoury choices – be pushed out of office or hand over executive power to Ms Megawati, effectively stepping aside as President.

While many analysts say Mr Abdurrahman has left his run too late to stitch up a last-minute deal with the Vice-President, a compromise deal may be far more preferable to pursuing the rocky two month road to impeachment. If the PDI-P pushes for impeachment, party members are concerned that it could be a rough ride, fearing that one of Mr Abdurrahman's strategies is to expose the shady business dealings of Ms Megawati's husband, Mr Taufik Kiemas.

But an even bigger concern is that without some sort of compromise deal, Indonesia is set for a painful war of attrition, with a relentlessly declining rupiah, economic growth taking a nose-dive and mass violence persistently threatening to burst onto the streets. There would be little progress on the economic front as the IMF is unlikely to conclude its agreement and disburse any loans until Indonesia has a stable government.

But even as negotiations for a compromise government possibly begin, Indonesia is set for a rudderless couple of months. Yesterday's censure effectively disempowers Mr Abdurrahman, making it impossible for his Cabinet to command any kind of power, and brings the government to a virtual standstill.

On top of this, there is little chance that separatist violence, sectarian clashes, and general lawlessness from a population increasingly taking the law into its own hands are likely to subside.