Dean Yates, Jakarta – Indonesia's military said on Thursday it saw little sign of a political compromise that might save President Abdurrahman Wahid's floundering rule and warned it would not tolerate any violence linked to his fate.

Lieutenant-General Agus Widjojo, military chief for territorial affairs, said the worst-case scenario when the top legislature holds an impeachment hearing against Wahid on August 1 was if politicians brought Indonesia's masses onto the streets.

Widjojo did not mention any names, but one of the few cards the president has left to play is the threat of protests by his fanatical supporters who mainly come from East Java. "At the moment there is not much indication the political elite will give concessions and come to a compromise, but on the other hand we should not underestimate the capability of Indonesians to compromise," Widjojo told a business luncheon.

Should the masses be mobilised by politicians over Wahid's political future, that could cause chaos that would trigger an "all-out response" from the security forces, added Widjojo, tipped by some analysts as a possible future armed forces chief.

Ministers are trying to strike a deal between Wahid and his estranged deputy Megawati Sukarnoputri, whose party controls the most seats in parliament and the top legislature, that might avert ousting Indonesia's first democratically elected leader. The signs are not promising.

Megawati underlined her displeasure with Wahid by snubbing another cabinet meeting on Thursday while the Muslim cleric has repeatedly said he would not account for his rule at the August hearing in the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) as required.

Wahid has also threatened to declare a state of emergency and call snap elections to stave off impeachment, although he has backed off partly after public objections from the military. Indeed, the once-reviled military has found itself almost cast as saviour in Jakarta as the crisis rolls toward the August hearing, especially by standing up to Wahid.

Widjojo declined to comment on the possibility Wahid would declare a state of emergency and call fresh elections. But he reiterated the president's role as supreme commander of the armed forces only covered defence affairs, and did not extend into the political or social arena, hinting the military would not carry out any state of emergency order.

Military reform to take time

Widjojo denied the military was stalling on reforms aimed at removing it from politics as Indonesia moves uneasily towards democracy, saying it must be accompanied by civilian reforms. "If we leave the political scene totally and too quickly then that is a concern for the destiny of the nation," Widjojo said. "The changes in the military will influence and... will also reflect the success of the reform process at the national level."

For three decades Suharto used the military to enforce his tough policies, leaving a legacy of widespread human rights abuses that prompted resounding calls for the generals to relinquish their political influence when Suharto fell in 1998.

Part of that involved splitting the police from military control in 1999, something Widjojo said happened too quickly. "The police are actually not ready to assume all those roles in internal security... Police are generally reluctant to ask for assistance from the military," he said.

The poorly equipped and undermanned police force has struggled to maintain security in the troubled country. Elements in the police – and the military – have also been accused of fanning some of the country's unrest.