The influential Association of Indonesia Muslim Intellectuals. ICMI, has called for sweeping political reforms in the wake of escalating violent protests, reports said Thursday.

President Suharto's latest reform proposals were "vague, too litte and too late", the ICMI statement saidm in a statement called for a cabinet reshuffle.

The organisation, previously chaired by Vice-President B.J. Habibie, also supported demands that the People's Consultative Assembly, the MPR hold an extraordinary sesion to initiate broad reforms.

After days of violent protests in the North Sumatra provincial city of Medan, the ICMI board met Wednesday and called for a special session of the MPR which meets once every five years to elect the president and set broad politcy objectives.

"The lack of confidence in the government is the source of these protests. They have widened as more and more people are feeling the burden of increasing prices of basic commodities," an ICMI statement issued after the meeting said.

House of Representatives speaker, Harmoko rejected the demand for an extraordinary session of the MPR, saying Suharto, elected in March to a seventh term in office, should be given the chance to carry out his new mandate.