More than 8,000 Indonesian police and troops staged a defiant rally in central Jakarta Tuesday in support of the national police chief sacked last week by President Abdurrahman Wahid.
The Jakarta police chief, Inspector General Sofyan Jacoeb, called on the military (TNI) and police (polri) to remain united behind General Suroyo Bimantoro, who is resisting his firing by Wahid.
"We have to maintain the solidarity of the TNI and Polri to anticipate threats and disturbances in the country," Jacoeb told the gathering in Monas square, a few hundred meters (yards) from the presidential palace.
The rally -- held as the damaging open conflict between the police and embattled president dragged into its fifth day -- was joined by soldiers from the army strategic reserve command, the marines and the air force.
"General Bimantoro is still the leader of the national police," Jacoeb said after the rally, adding that the gathering was "based on an instruction from General Bimantoro."
Bimantoro did not attend the rally.
Bimantoro and chief security minister Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono were fired after opposing any declaration of a state of emergency, which would allow Wahid to dissolve parliament and stave off impeachment by hostile lawmakers.
Wahid has also blamed Bimantoro for the fatal shooting by police of one of his supporters during a protest in East Java last week, and for allegedly sowing discord between him and Vice President Megawati Sukarnoputri.
A special session of the national assembly is due on August 1 to call Wahid to account for his erratic performance as Indonesia's first democratically elected president.
The near-blind Muslim cleric will be impeached if lawmakers reject his account.
The sacked police chief had originally planned to lead the parade, but decided "the presence of the city police would be enough," national police spokesman Didi Widayadi told AFP.
He said police would continue to regard Bimantoro as their leader until the Supreme Court and parliament ruled on his status, which Wahid has declared to be "non-active."
Late Tuesday Bimantoro, who has insisted that by law he remains the police chief until parliament approves his dismissal, was locked in a closed door meeting with parliament leaders.
Wahid's National Awakening Party (PKB) meanwhile blasted Bimantoro's defiance as treasonous.
PKB legislator Effendy Choirie said top police commanders who had signed a statement made public Sunday in support of Bimantoro were also committing treason, as were those who participated in Tuesday's parade.
Defense Minister Mohammad Mahfud told journalists after meeting Wahid that there would be "a peaceful solution in a day or two" to the stand-off between the police and the president.
In any case, Bimantoro was due to retire next month, Agum Gumelar, who took over th epost as security minister said.
"The (suspended) police chief will reach retirement age next month. I think perhaps another position will be found for him, I don't know," Gumelar told reporters -- JAKARTA (AFP)
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