Reuters in Jakarta – Popular Indonesian Vice-President Megawati Sukarnoputri will skip another cabinet meeting on Thursday in her latest snub to the besieged president.

Ms Megawati has increasingly distanced herself from floundering President Abdurrahman Wahid, especially since he sacked a number of ministers earlier this month without consulting her in last-ditch attempts to stave off impeachment.

The vice-president normally chairs the regular cabinet meetings but an official at her office said she was in East Java province to open a reservoir instead of attending the gathering at 11.30am (HK time). "I don't know, maybe it's because this agenda has already been scheduled," the official said, when asked why Ms Megawati would not chair the meeting.

In the past month Ms Megawati has shunned two cabinet meetings and three swearing-in ceremonies for new ministers that she would normally have been required to attend.

Indonesia's top legislature will hold impeachment hearings against Mr Wahid on August 1 over his erratic 20-month rule, and Ms Megawati has given hints she is ready to take over the battered country should her erstwhile friend be ousted.

Ms Megawati and Mr Wahid both attended ceremonies marking the anniversary of the death of founding President Sukarno in East Java on Wednesday evening that were marked by constant heckling of the Muslim cleric. Mr Wahid has since returned to Jakarta.

Thousands of Megawati supporters, shouting out her name and those of her revered father, urged a clearly irritated Mr Wahid to get off a stage so Ms Megawati could speak."People over there, please stop! Please be quiet! If you continue yelling, its means you humiliate the name and the image of Mega," Mr Wahid said angrily, pointing his finger at the crowd mainly wearing the red colours of Ms Megawati's political party.