Jakarta – Muslim politician Amien Rais, a longtime critic of the Suharto administration, yesterday said that he was withdrawing his bid for the presidency and supporting the re-election of Mr Suharto for a record seventh five-year term.

Speaking on the privately-run SCTV television station on a day when students from the University of Indonesia demonstrated for a second day for political and economic reform, he backed Research and Technology Minister B. J. Habibie as the next vice-president.

Mr Amien, who in recent weeks mounted a vocal campaign against Mr Suharto and the government for failing to produce a credible response to the economic crisis, did not say what made him withdraw his bid.

In any case, his chances were remote given that he lacked support in the People's Consultative Assembly which meets next week to elect a president and vice-president.

But he asked the government to make sure that food did not become too expensive – an issue which an estimated 5,000 students at the University of Indonesia were also concerned about.