Muklis Ali, Jakarta – Indonesian President Abdurrahman Wahid on Friday stood by a threat to declare a state of emergency to counter fresh efforts to impeach him, edging the country closer to a potentially explosive showdown.

Wahid told worshippers at a mosque he would declare a civil emergency – which gives police wide-ranging powers and allows an early election – effective from July 31 if he could not strike a peace deal.

He has given his enemies until 6pm to drop their push to impeach him at a special session of the supreme People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) due to start on August 1. "I will announce today if there is no compromise that on July 31, at 1800 [6pm] a state of emergency with the status of civil emergency will come into effect," Wahid said.

The MPR has threatened to call a snap impeachment hearing within hours of any emergency declaration. MPR speaker Amien Rais also threatened an early hearing if Wahid goes ahead with plans to swear in a new police chief later in the day. But he gave no timeframe. The parliament and the MPR oppose Wahid's sacking of the former commander.

Police on alert

More than 40,000 police and troops have been deployed around the capital amid fears the political crisis crippling the world's fourth-largest nation could trigger an explosion of violence. But Jakarta was calm in the early afternoon, with businesses and schools open as usual.

There was also no sign of the thousands of fanatical Wahid faithful who have flooded into the city in the past to show their support for the ailing Muslim cleric. Wahid's political heartland of East Java, home to millions of fanatical followers – some of whom have declared to die defending him and have been training in martial arts and magic powers – was also calm.

Wahid's chief spokesman, Wimar Witoelar, said efforts were continuing to strike a compromise on Friday. "The political process is still going on hour by ... hour but we have yet to see what transpires and what options will be available to the president," he told Reuters Television.

But most leading politicians say a face-saving compromise is almost impossible just 21 turbulent months into Wahid's five-year term as Indonesia's first democratically elected leader.

Doubts over emergency

Wahid is widely expected to be dumped whenever the MPR sits and the largest party, Vice President Megawati Sukarnoputri's Indonesian Democratic Party-Struggle (PDI-P), said on Friday for the first time it would support impeachment.

The taciturn daughter of founding President Sukarno automatically takes over if Wahid falls. Megawati and her party have previously supported an impeachment hearing but have stopped short of specifically backing his ouster.

If Wahid tries to carry out his threat, it is unlikely he will have enough support to implement a state of emergency. Key army and police generals have already warned they would not carry out such an order.

Police have drawn up plans to evacuate MPR members and foreign diplomats if violence erupts in Jakarta.