Wahid declares emergency

JAKARTA, JULY. 22. Indonesia's embattled President, Mr. Abdurrahman Wahid, has declared a state of emergency, assuming wideranging powers just hours before an impeachment hearing that was expected to dump him.

Mr. Wahid said in a brief nationally-televised address that he was acting to save the troubled nation. He said his emergency decree would dissolve the top Assembly seeking to impeach him as well as the Parliament, adding he had ordered police to prevent tomorrow's impeachment hearing due to start within hours.

An aide fresh elections would be held within a year and that the activities of the second largest party, former President, Mr. Suharto's Golkar, would be frozen.

Indonesia's top legislature had summoned Mr. Wahid to appear before it at the impeachment hearing to answer allegations of corruption and incompetence.

- Reuters

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