Skip to main content /WORLD
CNN.com /WORLD
*
EDITIONS:

MULTIMEDIA:

E-MAIL:
Subscribe to one of our news e-mail lists.
Enter your address:

SERVICES:
CNN Mobile

CNN WEB SITES:
CNN Websites

DISCUSSION:

SITE INFO:

CNN NETWORKS:
CNN International

TIME INC. SITES:

WEB SERVICES:

TIMELINE: Indonesia's road to crisis

Wahid
It appears that Wahid's time is almost up.  


JAKARTA, Indonesia -- Abdurrahman Wahid declares a state of emergency, assuming wide-ranging powers hours before an impeachment hearing expected to dump him.

It is the latest crisis to grip the world's fourth most populous nation, rocked by economic, political and social turmoil since the Asian economic meltdown in mid-1997.

Here is a timeline showing the lead up to the latest crisis.

1997

July - Economic crisis hits Asia, triggering social and political unrest in Indonesia.

1998

March 10 - People's Consultative Assembly (MPR), the country's highest legislative body, unanimously supports Suharto as president for a seventh term, triggering protests.

May - Fuel price hikes spark widespread protests and riots in which more than 1,000 are killed in Jakarta alone.

May 21 - In the face of social chaos, Suharto resigns after 32 years of army-backed ruled and hands power to Vice President B.J. Habibie.

1999

June - In national elections, Megawati Sukarnoputri's Indonesian Democratic Party-Struggle (PDI-P) wins about a third of seats in parliament, the largest block claimed by any party.

Oct 20 - Wahid snatches the presidency from Megawati when former ruling Golkar party shifts support behind him. His victory over the popular daughter of founding President Sukarno triggers rioting in the capital.

Oct 21 - Megawati selected vice president. Rioting by her supporters stops.

Oct 26 - New cabinet named. Controversial General Wiranto pushed aside as head of military and appointed top security minister. Control of the armed forces moved from the army to the navy.

Nov 26 - Senior minister Hamzah Haz, of the United Development Party (PPP), the third largest and pivotal to Wahid's rise, resigns from cabinet.

2000

Feb 14 - Wahid dumps Wiranto from cabinet.

April 24 - Wahid sacks two key ministers, Laksamana Sukardi from Megawati's party, and Golkar's Yusuf Kalla. The move infuriates both parties.

May 25 - Wahid orders arrest of his masseur for using the president's name to illegally obtain 35 billion rupiah, worth $4 million at the time, from state commodity regulator Bulog.

Aug 7 - Wahid makes his first accountability speech at annual session of MPR Assembly but wins only a lukewarm reception.

Aug 9 - Wahid, under fire for his erratic rule, gives Megawati the job of running daily duties of the government.

Aug 24 - Wahid reshuffles cabinet, hands top jobs to his allies, largely leaving Megawati's PDI-P and Golkar in the cold.

Aug 28 - Parliament turns up the heat on Wahid, launching an investigation into the Bulog scandal and another in which Wahid accepted a $2 million personal donation from the Sultan of Brunei. This is the first parliamentary inquiry involving a president.

Dec 24 - Ten killed in Christmas Eve church bombings.

2001

Jan 22 - Wahid refuses to answer questions at a parliamentary probe into the two scandals. Denies any wrongdoing.

Jan 30 - Parliamentary team says Wahid probably had a role in the scandals.

Feb 1 - Parliament censures Wahid over the scandals. Thousands of anti-Wahid protesters take to the streets of Jakarta to demand he resign. Wahid remains defiant.

Feb 6 - More than 50,000 Wahid supporters rampage in East Java.

March 28 - Wahid rejects parliamentary censure in a formal response to legislators. Apologizes for inappropriate behavior, but continues to deny wrongdoing.

April 30 - Parliament censures Wahid a second time.

May 25 - Wahid threatens for the first time to declare a state of emergency and call snap elections if push for a special MPR impeachment hearing continues.

May 28 - Attorney-general clears Wahid of wrongdoing.

May 30 - Wahid brushes off second censure.

May 31 - Parliament calls for a special impeachment session of the MPR to begin on August 1.

June 1 - Wahid reshuffles cabinet again, making Agum Gumelar, close to Megawati, top security minister in hopes of mending relations with his vice president. Sacks police chief Bimantoro, who refuses to leave office.

July 9 - Wahid sets July 20 deadline for foes to back off and says he will declare state of emergency if there is no action.

July 13 - MPR chief Amien Rais says he will call a snap impeachment hearing if a state of emergency is declared.

July 22 - Wahid declares a state of emergency, which a top army general has said is opposed by the country's military. Wahid said the decree would dissolve the top assembly seeking to impeach him as well as parliament and added that he had ordered police to prevent the impeachment hearing due to start within hours.

Reuters contributed to this report.







RELATED SITES:
See related sites about World
Note: Pages will open in a new browser window
External sites are not endorsed by CNN Interactive.

WORLD TOP STORIES:

 Search   

Back to the top