President Abdurrahman Wahid stated on Friday that the special

President Abdurrahman Wahid stated on Friday that the special
session had no right to demand a statement of presidential
accountability as the 1945 Constitution stipulated clearly that
the President only had to account to the MPR at the end of his
term of office.

"Just ignore it ... it has only been mentioned by a couple of
people. We should find another way to get to the truth," he
remarked during an interview with TVRI state television .

"The special session can go ahead, but I remind you that it
should not upset the relationship between the President and the
House and it should not demand presidential accountability,"
Abdurrahman added.

But the MPR is determined to ask the President to make a
statement of accountability at the upcoming special session.

Should his accountability statement be rejected, the MPR will
then elect a new president.

Vice President Megawati Soekarnoputri, who is also the
chairwoman of the largest party in the House, the Indonesian
Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan), looks set to
succeed Abdurrahman as president.

As part of the effort to save his presidency, Abdurrahman has
tried to offer a constitutional delegation of power to Megawati
and at the same time has threatened to declare a state of
emergency.

Megawati, however, rejected Abdurrahman's offer, while the
Military top brass and ministers have poured cold water on his
idea of declaring a state of emergency.