A demand for the impeachment of President Abdurrahman Wahid gained overwhelming support in Indonesia's parliament on Wednesday after its three largest parties backed the move in a sometimes rowdy debate. The measure, that could see Wahid swept from power by August, is now certain to be passed by the legislature when lawmakers vote later in the day. At the gates of the heavily guarded legislature, about 3,000 Wahid supporters, many carrying sticks and knives, demanded the body be dissolved. Thousands of troops backed by armoured vehicles and tanks kept them from entering the compound. For three days in Wahid's home province of East Java, where he is revered as an Islamic holy man, mobs have burned churches, mosques and the offices of political opponents. Today, 600 paratroopers were deployed in the town of Pasuruan and fired warning shots to disperse crowds. A local hospital reported that one protester was killed and four wounded. Shots were also fired into air in the city of Malang.
Bureau Report