Devi Asmarani, Jakarta – Indonesian President Abdurrahman Wahid is seeking to patch up ties with his old Muslim allies, who have turned political foes, a palace source said yesterday. The move is a desperate attempt to save his presidency if he fails to secure a compromise with his estranged deputy Megawati Sukarnoputri.

The source, one of the handful of people closest to the President, told The Straits Times the leader is eyeing a group of Muslim politicians and intellectuals. Some of them helped him into power in 1999, but they have turned into his fiercest opponents in the past year, as the Vice-President appears set to take over his post.

He would do this, because Ms Megawati had practically brushed off his offer to transfer more power to her, the source said. "He has already agreed to give more power to Ms Megawati, as recommended by the ministers, but she had rejected everything. We think she's stalling for time and aiming for the top job," the source said.

"If the worst comes to the worst, if she won't compromise with us, we are willing to compromise with anyone willing to do it with us," added the source. "We're willing to give more, after all we're desperate," he noted.

The source said Mr Abdurrahman's camp was lobbying Muslim figures grouped under the loose "Islamic force" coalition. In 1999, some members of the coalition, as well as the Golkar party, supported Mr Abdurrahman's bid to beat Ms Megawati in the presidential fray because they did not believe that a woman should be President.

But in the course of his 19-month administration, the groups have been the President's most vocal critics and even helped initiate investigations into two financial scandals that led to the issuance of two censures against him. They have lately shown support for Ms Megawati to replace him.

But Mr Abdurrahman's camp believes that eventually the coalition would topple Ms Megawati if she became the President. This group would eventually sideline Ms Megawati as in 1999, the source said, adding that Mr Abdurrahman's National Awakening Party (PKB) and his Nahdlatul Ulama Muslim organisation would most likely throw their support behind the Islamic coalition.

Relations between the country's two leaders have deteriorated over the past months. According to The Straits Times source, the two leaders had not had real communications since last Wednesday. Last weekend alone, the President called her 17 times and she did not answer, said the source.

The President was also wary of the fact that the Indonesian military seemed to be taking a hardened stance against him and were siding with her. Over the weekend, the President's camp was alerted to the fact that the tanks were rolling into the city, some heading into the palace.

The Straits Times learned that palace members had anticipated a planned coup by the army on Saturday night. Earlier on the same day, rumours were rife that the President would replace Army Chief of Staff General Endriartono Sutarto and that the leader was issuing a decree to disband Parliament, a move to which Ms Megawati objected firmly.

The next day, the Army's Strategic Command units held an unusual allegiance ceremony in which they pledged loyalty to the nation, not to any individuals or groups.

However the PKB's secretary general Mr Chatibul Umam Wiranu said: "It smelled to me like a psychological war." But despite the pressure, the palace source said the President would never consider resigning. "We've done nothing wrong. If he has to go, they'll have to impeach him."