Word: wahid
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Dates: during 2000-2009
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...carefully staged television interview, Wahid solemnly insisted: "All of the information about the two cases is absolutely not true." He added, "I'm not involved in anything." At least one influential viewer, however, remained unconvinced. Amien Rais, head of the People's Consultative Assembly, the upper house of parliament, told Time that Wahid must resign, saying: "He has trampled on his oath as a leader...
That rebuke is a possible first step in an impeachment process that could drag on for months. Wahid may be required to defend himself first in writing and then by enduring a public skewering from hostile legislators. Alternatively, the climax could come a lot sooner: Wahid's adversaries are trying to convene a special session of the People's Consultative Assembly, which has the power to oust him. Either way, Wahid could face political ruin unless he can quickly mend ties with parliament...
That won't be easy. Since Suharto's fall in 1998, Indonesia has been left with a political system in which it's unclear who holds more power: the President or parliament. Wahid believes he holds the trump card; parliament sees things differently. Wahid's style isn't helping his cause. Even close friends use words like "arrogant" and "disdainful" to describe his attitude, which may be traced partly to his upbringing. An Islamic scholar, fluent in five languages, Wahid descends from a line of Javanese holy men, and it is difficult to convince him that he is not infallible...
...neither case has it been proven that Wahid pocketed the missing funds, but his refusal to kowtow before parliament has cost him. Says Nurcholish Majid, a respected Muslim scholar and long-time Wahid associate: "He doesn't believe he's done anything wrong, and he'll use whatever he has for his defense...
...Wahid's options are narrowing fast. On Thursday, while parliament was voting 393 to 4 to censure him, Wahid at first tried relaxing to a tape recording of U.S. President Harry Truman's biography. "He identifies with Truman," says one palace insider. "Truman said his support came from the silent majority." But in Indonesia, the silent majority doesn't count nearly as much as the military. So Wahid hastily summoned his Defense Minister, his security adviser and the chiefs of the armed services for a meeting at the palace. The President discussed various options for maintaining order, including declaring martial...