Jakarta – Supporters of opposition presidential hopeful Megawati Sukarnoputri returned to the streets on Saturday to press the national assembly to pick her as the new head of state.

Some 500 supporters of the chairwoman of the Indonesian Democracy Party-Struggle (PDIP) clad mostly in the party's trademark red, kept circling a roundabout in central Jakarta, singing and chanting slogans.

"Megawati or revolution," they yelled, interspersed with calls to "take Wiranto and Habibie to court," referring to incumbent President B.J. Habibie and armed forces chief General Wiranto.

Both have been accused, mostly by students protestors, of trying to scuttle reforms to preserve conditions prevalent during the era of former president Suharto, Habibie's mentor.

"Mega [Megawati] for President," said one of the banners carried by the protestors while others said "Democracy not manipulation," and "Who else is the elected president if not Mega?"

The PDIP won the June parliamentary elections, the first since Suharto's fall in May of last year, with 34.7 percent of the vote.

Dozens of people carried a huge red banner with the picture of a bull, the symbol of the PDIP that harks back to the populist National Party of Indonesia of Megawati's father, founding president Sukarno.

The rally was festive. Military police and traffic police confined themselves to keeping the traffic moving, as scores of police and soldiers relaxed on the sides of the roundabout.

Despite calls from officials for people not to take to the streets in support of presidential candidates, rallies have been held daily.

In Yogyakarta, central Java, thousands of Megawati supporters rallied at the Kridosono stadium, the Suara Pembaruan evening daily said.

Megawati supporters say that as the winner of the June elections she had the right to the presidency. "Surveys prove that Megawati is the presidential choice from Sabang to Merauke," said a long banner, referring to two towns at each extremities of the country.

Megawati is pitted against Habibie and Muslim leader Abdurrahman Wahid for the presidency to be decided by the national assembly on Wednesday.