Megawati became Wahid's vice-president, but relations cooled

Mr Wahid offered hope for the country's first real experiment in democracy, appearing to espouse tolerance and moderate politics.

And he quelled the voices of more conservative and Muslim parties, who shrank from having a female leader in Megawati.

A well-respected intellectual from a prominent Muslim family, he was also no shy critic, daring to speak up during the autocratic rule of former President Suharto.

Besides, Mr Wahid seemed to have proved himself as a leader, having successfully led the 30-million strong Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), Indonesia's largest Muslim organisation.

Dream disintegrates

Yet, within a matter of months, that dream of a democratic transformation was already fast unravelling.

The rupiah has been one of the casualties in the crisis

He became embroiled in a corruption scandal when his personal masseur fled, allegedly with more than $4m of state funds.

Mr Wahid himself was accused of misappropriating donations from the Sultan of Brunei.

He was censured by parliament, despite his repeated denials of wrongdoing and the somewhat circumstantial evidence against him.

The world's fourth-largest nation now lies in a mess.

Some supporters want to fight a "holy war" for Wahid

Under his stewardship, the country was blighted by economic turmoil, with the freefall of the rupiah, as well as recurrent violence.

Jakarta has seen bloody political protests, with ethnic and religious bloodshed elsewhere, and separatist tensions in far-flung provinces.

The enormous archipelago appears to be fraying at the edges.

Shortcomings

All the qualities that were once hailed about Mr Wahid now appear to his shortcomings - his tenacity is seen as stubbornness, his outspokenness viewed as diplomatically dangerous, and he has upset some foreign governments.

His erratic behaviour and conflicting statements may have helped him survive the Suharto era, but in a president they appear sorely out of place.

Wahid has a range of health problems

Far from being a model of democratic leadership, he has been seen as high-handed and autocratic.

This was his leadership style as head of the NU - appropriate perhaps for a Muslim organisation that was once his father's perhaps, but unacceptable to parliament.

Legislators complained he treats parliament with contempt, and Mr Wahid himself once likened the institution to a kindergarten.

He reportedly took criticism as a personal slight, and remained dismissive when MPs censured him.

Parliament has been so arrogant

President Wahid

Due to his impaired eyesight, Mr Wahid relies on aides and family members, particularly his daughter, to read him newspapers and correspondence - but they are sometimes said to avoid reading reports that criticise him.

And in some cases, they have failed to convey important messages.