Jakarta – Indonesia's Supreme Court will examine demands that the Golkar party of former president Suharto be disbanded because of corruption and vote-rigging, the new Chief Justice announced yesterday.

Mr Bagir Manan said he had already set up a panel to examine whether Golkar – which is the second largest party in Parliament and is leading the charge against President Abdurrahman Wahid – should be disbanded.

"We have to respond to demands coming from society," he said. "We have begun discussions on the matter." However, he said, the Supreme Court would stick to the principle of "presumption of innocence" in observing all legal cases, including the one on Golkar. "A judge cannot declare one as guilty, unless he or she has enough and valid evidence," Mr Bagir said.

A number of organisations, including the Democratic People's Party, have been demanding that Golkar be dissolved over its past links with the New Order regime.

Mr Bagir was swore in as the country's new Chief Justice yesterday.

Demands for the dissolution of Golkar have risen since national elections in 1999, the first free vote in four decades. Many smaller parties and anti-corruption groups have accused it of violating election laws, rigging the ballot and buying votes.

Golkar was set up by the military in 1964. It was then used as a political vehicle by Suharto, a five-star army general who took power a year later to rule for 32 years. He was forced from office in May 1998 amid a violent student uprising. However, the party survived by declaring itself to be the "New Golkar", free from his influence. It won 24 per cent of the vote in 1999.