Jakarta - Indonesia's cabinet met yesterday to grapple with a growing political crisis amid speculation that President Abdurrahman Wahid planned to declare a state of emergency to stave off the threat of impeachment.
Political sources said Mr Wahid had in recent days considered declaring a state of emergency - which would enable him to dissolve a hostile parliament that is dragging the country's first democratically elected leader closer to impeachment.
Nineteen months into his rule, the erratic and nearly blind Mr Wahid has been politically isolated since parliament twice censured him over financial scandals. He has denied any wrongdoing.