Jakarta – Some 100 Indonesian students on Tuesday marched to the Elections Commission headquarters here to demand the disbanding of the ruling Golkar party ahead of the pivotal June 7 election.

The Student Action Forum for Reform and Democracy (Famred) chanted "disband Golkar" as their advance was blocked near the office by some 40 anti-riot police and troops.

"All the crisis that has happened is the act of Golkar, all the cheating and pressure placed on the Election Committee are also the works of Golkar," a Famred release distributed during the protest said.

It also accused the party of "money politics" and intimidation. "Reject the participation of Golkar in the elections," the students said.

The police arrested the students after they protested for some 40 minutes, hauling them on board two trucks to the Jakarta police headquarters. Police said the students had not notified the police over their plan to hold the public protest, as required by law since 1998.

"Golkar: a latent danger of the New Order," read a poster, referring to the period of Suharto's New Order government.

The protest came a day after the Supreme Court said that the Election Commission had no authority to ban ministers from campaigning in the 1999 elections. It said the decision rested on the president. The ruling greatly benefitted Golkar which counts all but three of its ministers as its cadres.

With the strong support from the armed forces and the civil service, Golkar had swept every election held under the 32 year rule of Suharto.

President B.J. Habibie has so far only barred five ministers and top officials from campaigning and made it known that all other ministers would be allowed to lobby for support during the elections.

Those affected were Development Supervision Coordinating Minister Hartarto Sastrosunarto, Coordinating Minister for Economy, Finance and Industry Ginanjar Kartasasmita, Attorney General Andi Ghalib, Defence Minister General Wiranto and Home Affairs Minister Syarwan Hamid.