Budi Kurniawan – Indonesia's former dictator Soeharto remains in a critical condition in a Jakarta hospital. Doctors are struggling to prevent multiple organ failure and say they fear for the life of the 86-year-old former general.

Mr Soeharto, ruled Indonesia for 32 years before being toppled in a pro-democracy uprising in 1998. A decade after his downfall he remains a controversial and divisive figure.

He is accused of rampant corruption and gross human rights accuses. But as he lies on his death bed there are mounting calls for him to be publically forgiven. Budi Kurnawan takes a look at why the Soeharto name still wields unwavering sway over Indonesia's elite.

AM Fatwa was a political prison during the Soeharto's New Order regime. But now he forgives Soeharto.

"I'm looking at it from a humanist point of view. Whatever he did wrong, he is still a human being and was the leader the state. He contributed so much to the nation and country, that's something we can't deny. So I forgive him as a person."

Soeharto's Golkar Party has been pushing for him to be publicly forgiven. They claim that his 32-year dictatorship brought enormous economic development to the country. Theo Sambuaga, an official from Golkar has been lobby President Yudhoyono to make this happen.

"We want to the President to close, cancel and stop the corruption cases against Soeharto and his children's cases. This can be done legally; the President can request the Attorney General to stop all the cases against him."

Mass Prayers for Soeharto's recovery have been held in several places across the archipelago; including at his birthplace near Yogyakarta in East Java.

Just hours after he was taken to hospital, the man who towered over Indonesia for 32 years had already been visited in hospital by the country's current President and Vice President, as well as former president Abdurrahman Wahid, known as Gus Dur.

They were signally to the world the unwavering sway the Suharto name still wields over Indonesia's elite. "He made mistakes," Gus Dur said after his visit to Suharto. "But he also did a great service to the nation."

That service to the nation was often characterised by brutal crackdowns on dissent. Suharto his family and their crony friends remain accused of corruptly pocketing billions of dollars during his decades in power. A civil suit seeking the return of 1.4 billion dollars in assets accrued through charitable foundations continues.

Petisi 50, is one the groups involved. They are made up of political and military figures that have fought against Soeharto since 1978. Judil Herri Justam is their spokesperson.

"He use is power to benefit himself and other people. He violated the law. There are countless cases of serious corruption. The re-forestration funds were embezzled. There are lots of other cases as well like the loans to Kinati Kertas, IPTN, Import taxes of all the Proton cars from Malaysia that Tutut his daughter was involved with, the cloves trade, refineries and everything else. We have reported all this to the Supreme Court because they are all serious corruption cases."

In March 2004 Transparency International names him as the world's all time most corrupt leader.

Soeharto also stances accused of gross human rights violations. These include the detention of communist party members in Buru Island, the political killings and kidnapping of hundreds of activists in the 1980s. Not to mention the military operations in East Timor, Papua, Aceh and Tanjung Priuk where thousands of people were killed by the military.

Veteran human rights activist Jhonson Panjaitan, says forgiving Soeharto would be betraying his many victims.

"We've are still having to fight for the current administration to admit that gross human rights violations took place during the Soeharto regime. They continue to protect Soeharto and fail to see the brutal reality of his dictatorship. The President and Vice president hold him in high regard, after everything that he has done and that is really upsetting."

When Soeharto was overthrown in 1998 in a people's revolution, the cries of students was hang him, hang him. But as he lies on his death Indonesia's have soften their views about their former dictator.

In his biography "My Thoughts, Words and Actions' Soeharto outlined how he would like to be remembered.

"If someone asks me about my wish, it will be not to mention the things about me, not to talk about me. But it is my wish and hope that the next generation will run this country based on the national ideology, of unity and harmony."