Embattled Indonesian President Abdurrahman Wahid will face an impeachment hearing in the top legislature on August 1st, the official Antara news agency reported today.
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Indonesian President Abdurrahman Wahid
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It said the decision was taken at a meeting of factions within the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR), less than 24 hours after parliament called on the supreme body to convene the hearing over Mr Wahid's role in two financial scandals.
Mr Wahid has few options left to save his political skin, and has previously threatened to declare a state of emergency to stave off the impeachment move. MPs have said the hearing would be held earlier should Mr Wahid carry out that threat.
Earlier around 1,000 Wahid supporters converged on the presidential palace today, urging their revered Muslim cleric to dissolve parliament.
Hundreds of heavily armed soldiers blocked the crowd just outside the palace gates in central Jakarta, one day after parliament voted to call on the top legislature to consider Mr Wahid's impeachment over two graft scandals.
"Mr President, in front of your people, we demand you dissolve parliament without hesitation. Do it as soon as possible because inside it (parliament) are people who want to tear apart this country," one loyalist leader screamed through a microphone.
Mr Wahid had previously threatened to declare a state of emergency and disband parliament if it moved to call an impeachment hearing against him.
The supporters are part of 5,000 loyalists who broke into the grounds of parliament yesterday while MPs were sending Mr Wahid closer to political oblivion