But they said the success of the raids owed nothing to the President's decision to suspend Parliament and curb the judiciary.

The council said that it had deposed the President, abolishing his office, and had suspended parliament pending new elections.

The king may also suspend or dissolve parliament, and shorten or lengthen the term of session.

Hassan II consolidated power by crackdowns on dissent and suspending parliament for a decade.

This, according to Reuters, was "a sign of discontent with the prime minister's decision to suspend Parliament until after the Olympics."

On 4 August 1936, with the King's support, he suspended parliament and established the 4th of August Regime.

But that's exactly what it did in saying it would not oppose Mr. Yeltsin if he moved to suspend Parliament.

He swapped the threat of suspending parliament for the referendum, and sacrificed Yegor Gaidar to protect other reformers.

When President Lech Walesa refused to accept the government's resignation, preferring to suspend parliament and call an election, it looked more worrying still.

Only hours before, shortly after midnight, Mr. Wahid had issued a decree suspending Parliament and calling for new elections.