Louise Williams, Jakarta – With a standing ovation in place of voting, President Soeharto was re-elected unopposed by a loyalist Assembly yesterday, the cheerful back slapping inside the Parliament far removed from the growing unrest on the streets.
In a formal ceremony of less than two minutes, the Speaker, Mr Harmoko, stated that President Soeharto was the sole candidate for the five-yearly presidential election to which the 1,000- member People's Consultative Assemby (MPR) replied with shouts of affirmation.
When the din died down Mr Harmoko pronounced 76-year-old Mr Soeharto President for a seventh consecutive five-year term, and the carefully orchestrated 10-day election process was over without a single bleat of dissent from within the Assembly.
The Vice-Presidential election, also contested by a sole handpicked candidate, the Technology Minister, Dr Jusuf Habibie, will be completed before the formal inauguration of the leaders today.
On the Assembly floor yesterday, four of President Soeharto's six children and a swag of relatives of the political elite hugged, shook hands and congratulated each other.
The Assembly is made up of 425 elected members, 75 military officers and 500 members appointed by President Soeharto, and is stacked with the allies and family members of the most powerful officials of the Soeharto regime.
"I hope for support and blessing from all the society to help him in his duty for the next five years because the coming five years will be difficult for him, maybe we would face a situation like 1965 again," President Soeharto's son, Bambang Trihatmodjo, said.
One of the President's daughters, Titik Prabowo, who runs a leading stockbroking house, said: "Of course, I feel touched and proud that father has been re-elected again. Father will focus on how to get us out of the economic crisis."
But as the Soeharto family celebrated, thousands of students staged pro-democracy rallies. Nine people were arrested in Jakarta.
President Soeharto's re-election comes as Indonesia faces growing unrest fuelled by the economic crisis and an damaging stand-off with international lenders. Late on Monday night the Assembly endorsed extra emergency powers for the President which the ruling Golkar group says reflects the Assembly's "trust" in President Soeharto, but which opposition groups believe will be used to further crack down on political dissent.
Meanwhile, the Soeharto family weighed in yesterday with a strong response to the International Monetary Fund's delayed disbursement of $US3 billion.
The family warned the international community not to try to push Indonesia around.
President Soeharto's eldest daughter and co-chair of Golkar, Siti "Tutut" Hardiyanti Rukmana, said: "If the [foreign] funds sacrifice and degrade our national dignity, we do not want them."
Second daughter, Siti Hediati Prabowo, said: "We do need the IMF, yes, but not if we are continually being repressed."