Indonesia's political crisis deepened Saturday with President Abdurrahman Wahid, desperately trying to cling to power, warning that the giant country could break apart if attempts to oust him succeed.
But his enigmatic vice president Megawati Sukarnoputri, who now holds the key to Wahid's future, left the nation waiting on the edge of its seat to find out whether she would choose Wahid's offer of a power-sharing deal or grab it all for herself.
Wahid told reporters he had offered to share power with Megawati, effectively making her head of government, to stave off attempts to hold a special session of the top legislature, the People's Consultative Assembly, which has the power to sack him.
"One must take this (threat of a national split) seriously," he said in brief comments to reporters at the palace, shortly after a medical check-up.
He declined to elaborate on his proposed deal with Megawati, saying "bargaining" was still going on.
Wahid left the room without taking questions.
Increasingly isolated as the political elite have turned against him, Wahid has repeatedly resorted to warnings of mass violence by his supporters if he is pushed from office after just 19 months of stumbling rule.
Parliament has already censured him twice over two financial scandals in what has turned into a wider attack of his rule which is pushing Indonesia back into economic and political chaos -- JAKARTA (Reuters)
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