Wahid, who denies any wrongdoing in two graft scandals, has 30 days to respond to the censure. He says he will see out his term, which runs through 2004. Given the likelihood of drawn-out political skirmishing, investors say the rally in Indonesian markets will not last. The Indonesian government has propped up the rupiah by selling some of its U.S. dollar holdings. But currency traders say such artificial solutions last a few days at best.
Experts say the best prospect for Indonesia's economy is that it stabilizes.
The best you can hope for is avoiding the crisis, and waiting about recovery a little bit later. The IMF insists that Indonesia recast its budget. It was based on the rupiah trading at 7,500 to the dollar, a sensible assumption when the budget passed in December. But experts say the rupiah's descent will hurt. A new budget is likely, Castle said.