Major political heavyweights hope to arrive at some consensus on the rules of the game for the presidential election scheduled for Nov 10

Susan Sim, Jakarta – A party leader humiliated by his presidential candidate holds secret talks with the enemy camp, whose chief continues to baffle with her disinterest; a top general courted by all sides decides finally to do the right thing, and offers to underwrite an all-star political meeting.

With three days to go before Indonesia's highest legislative body, the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR), swears in its first mixed batch of freely elected MPs and appointees, a sense of urgency is leading to some surprising manoeuvres, some of which might finally come to light.

First on the agenda: a meeting of the major political heavyweights, those whose parties contested the June election and won seats.

The aim: to arrive at some consensus on the rules of the game, the game being the presidential election now scheduled to take place in the MPR on Nov 10.

The problem: it is the military that is proposing this pre-MPR caucus, in the hope of pre-empting any party from taking its fight to the streets and the inevitably bloody aftermath.

"We have psychological problems regarding the military's role. The image of party leaders listening to the military could create a window for unrest, could create a sense of insecurity among the people," a close aide to a major party leader told The Straits Times.

"We don't know if in the end, the military is the solution or the problem. Tensions are very high after last week's riots."

The anti-military riots was started by students protesting a newly passed internal security Bill. It spiralled into near-anarchy and has also led General Wiranto to reconsider his own political viability.

Said a confidante: "He's become more hesitant about accepting the offers of becoming a presidential or vice-presidential candidate. "He's thinking of just playing a role in getting all the elites together and he'll abide by whatever decisions they make."

Gen Wiranto's political prospects had looked promising just a month ago. Both President B.J. Habibie and Ms Megawati Sukarnoputri wanted him as his/her running mate; he could have secured the country's No. 2 post and total command of the military by stating his terms.

The No. 1 post was also within reach, although a careful public relations campaign would have been needed to establish his reform credentials while he took on the aura of the reluctant kingmaker.

Even the East Timor debacle and international threats to put him and his military in the dock for war crimes would not have derailed his ambition.

The same student demonstrators who called for his resignation last Saturday would have demonstrated on his behalf if the UN came after him. He is their general for them to censure and disparage, not the foreign community's.

But the riots too hammered home the point that Indonesians would no more trust their generals in politics, whatever their motives.

Military spokesman Major-General Sudrajat even took pains to ensure his critics knew the decision for the President to hold off signing the security Bill into law came from Gen Wiranto.

A classified memorandum he supposedly sent to the Indonesian Human Rights Commission even noted that he took the decision to appease the public even "before he discussed it with President Habibie".

To be sure, the duet between the President and the General had become increasingly dissonant. Gen Wiranto was left seething with anger when Dr Habibie impulsively cancelled a plan to set up a military command in Aceh as part of measures to diffuse separatist tendencies by turning over security functions to the Acehnese themselves.

At the same time, the President's insistence on Golkar naming Gen Wiranto his running mate now has taken on the air of a desperate incumbent looking for support from the military.

Insiders said that at a meeting between Dr Habibie and Golkar chairman Akbar Tandjung 10 days ago, the candidate had screamed at his party boss in front of Gen Wiranto and other witnesses.

When he disclosed that the General would be relieved of duty next month to make himself available for nomination, Gen Wiranto looked "visibly annoyed".

Mr Akbar too felt humiliated, one of his aides said. Although he did announce to reporters that he would ask Golkar to endorse the Habibie-Wiranto ticket soon, he has also been meeting secretly with Ms Megawati of the Indonesian Democratic Party-Perjuangan (Struggle).

This second-track strategy is seen as necessary to secure the party's future, especially since at least half of its legislators appear unwilling to vote for Dr Habibie next month. It is also dictated by reality. Golkar deputy secretary-general Muchyar Yara told The Straits Times: "The election results show the people want change, they don't want Golkar to lead the government.

"If we try to force Habibie's candidacy through, it is easy to calculate that he'll have only one to two years before the people kick him out. Maybe less. Then Golkar will again have supported an illegitimate government. It'll be finished."

A party source said Mr Akbar met Ms Megawati and Mr Matori Abdul Djalil, chairman of Indonesia's Nation Awakening Party, in secret talks last Friday.

Golkar would like the vice-presidential slot for a Megawati-Akbar ticket as well as some Cabinet posts in the new government.

But no negotiations had begun yet. "It is important for Ibu Mega and Akbar to be comfortable with each other first, to find a fit," the source said.

But Indonesia's future lies not just with the largest two parties, the military reckons. All the parties have to find their fit in the new political constellation too. And perhaps then, the military will find its niche too.