Makassar – Hundreds of students of the State University of Makassar on Friday staged a demonstration at the provincial legislature here, demanding President Megawati Soekarnoputri to immediately resign for her incompetence in leading the nation.

The students said President Megawati was unable to save the Indonesian nation from its suffering, and even tended to increase the torment of the people through various government policies.

"The rise of fuel, electricity and telephone costs simultaneously in early January 2003 was proof that the present government no longer cares for its people, who are suffering more and more as a result of the prolonged economic crisis," the demonstrators said as quoted by Antara.

In their statement, they demanded that the government review its policies in raising fuel, electricity and telephone charges as these would increase staple food prices so that the people would be plunged into misery and poverty. "These policies, including selling state assets to foreigners, indicate that the Megawati regime has no sense of crisis," they said.

Similar demands were also voiced by hundreds of students in Jakarta and Yogyakarta. TV7 reported that dozens of students from various universities in Greater Jakarta staged a rally at the traffic circle on Jalan Thamrin in front of the Hotel Indonesia, Jakarta, while dozens of female students from various universities in Yogyakarta rejected the fuel price rise and demanded the resign of President Megawati.

Meanwhile, Pemuda Muhammadiyah, a youth wing of the Muhammadiyah Muslim organization, also demanded the same things during a press conference in Jakarta on Friday.