JAKARTA (AFP) - Leaders of the G-15 developing countries began a two-day summit in the Indonesian capital today, focusing on the perils of globalization and how to bridge the "digital divide".

The summit, which was overshadowed by Indonesia's leadership crisis, has set as one of its main themes the question of how to narrow the glaring information-technology gap between the world's rich and poor.

President Abdurrahman Wahid opened the conference, making brief personal comments and touching on the achievements of the G-15 countries.

There was confusion when Wahid, who is clinically blind, said Vice President Megawati Sukarnoputri would read out his written speech.

But Megawati, who is waiting in the wings to take over as president if Wahid is impeached, made a hand signal indicating she would not do so.

Most believed that the leadership crisis had reached the conference floor, but organizers insisted later that it had been their own gaffe, and that Megawati had not been given a copy of the speech.

Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe then addressed the leaders on behalf of Africa, without Wahid's speech being read.

Mugabe drummed up nationalistic fervour as he launched a strident attack on globalization.

"Despite offical aid programmes, our economies and people remain poor and marginalized and servile to the economies of the developed world, especially those of Europe and the United States.

"The current world economic order is deliberately constructed for the exploitation of Third World economies and the people," the fiery Zimbabwean leader said.

IMF lost sight of original role

Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, another fervent critic of unfettered globalization, hit out at at the International Monetary Fund (IMF) as he spoke on behalf of Asian nations.

The IMF, he said, had lost sight of its original role to facilitate financial recovery and had now become a political tool.

"The highly questionable value of free and unregulated markets is still being touted as the ideal which must be adhered to at whatever cost," Mahathir added.

Mahathir also urged developed countries to lower the price of information and communication technology supplied to their poorer neighbours.

Less than 20 percent of developing economies' populations have access to a fixed telephone line and Internet, compared to 50 percent in developed countries, the Malaysian leader said.

In his brief comments, Wahid said the G15's priority was embodied in the summit's theme: "Harnessing the potential of IT for development of our group."

Overshadowed by the Indonesian political drama, the G-15 meeting was also dogged by a poor turnout, with only five heads of state attending - just enough to meet the official quorum.

Indonesian Foreign Minister Alwi Shihab, announcing the latest no-show yesterday, said Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika would not attend as he tackles rioting at home.

Just 300 metres (yards) from the convention centre, the Indonesian parliament, enclosed in a heavy security cordon of police, troops and armored cars, began a session that could lead to Wahid's impeachment.

As the drama unfolded in parliament, Wahid was in the Jakarta Convention Center sitting alongside Megawati, whose party faction is leading the efforts to impeach him over his performance in office.