Jakarta – Hundreds of university students protested at the Indonesian national parliament here on Tuesday demanding a fair first general assembly since the fall of ex-president Suharto in May, a reporter said.

Around 1,500 students from several Jakarta universities demonstrated to demand that the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) takes its role seriously when it holds a special convention planned for next month by the government of President B.J. Habibie. "MPR, do not turn the special session into a political theatre," read one of the posters carried by the protestors.

The protestors could not enter parliament's grounds and spilled onto the streets which had been blocked off to traffic by security about one kilometer from the entrance to the parliament compound.

Twenty student representatives were allowed to enter, past two thick layers of barbed wire and under the watchful glare of about 250 armed police and military personnel, to meet with the House Speaker Harmoko. "MPs realize that times have changed and it is no longer the time for corrupt practices, and no longer the time to steal people's money but it is time to defend people's right," a student standing at the lobby of the parliament building shouted over a loud speaker.

Harmoko however, did not immediately meet with the student representatives, who later threatened to stay overnight until they were allowed to meet him.

More student protestors were seen arriving outside the parliament with some holding banners criticizing Suharto's hand-picked successor Habibie as another corrupt leader. "What is needed is a new president, free from corrupt practices, people's representatives and not brown nosers" a red banner written in white ink read. "We have been lied to and fooled for the past 32 years, we don't need any more of those," read another poster.