Jakarta – Indonesian cities were hit by riots and protests Wednesday after the national assembly elected Muslim leader Abdurrahman Wahid as president, enraging followers of his popular rival Megawati Sukarnoputri.
Thousands of Megawati diehards in Jakarta clashed with troops and police, torching property and cars after the frail, half-blind Wahid, 59, became the country's fourth president and the first freely elected in the 54-year history of the nation.
Clashes were also reported in Solo in central Java as well as the world famous resort island of Bali, a Megawati stronghold.
Wahid replaced President B.J. Habibie, 63, the embattled successor of ousted strongman Suharto, 78, whose resignation in May 1998 ushered in a new era of democratic reform.
Wahid's solemn swearing-in late Wednesday capped a day of high political drama starting with Habibie's withdrawal from the race at the last minute and culminating in riots.
Habibie was humiliated by the assembly's rejection of his performance record in a narrow no-confidence vote on the eve of the election. His term in office was marred by crisis, including East Timor's move towards independence, a banking scandal and the government's dropping of a corruption probe into Suharto.
In a nail-biting two-way race, Wahid eventually won by 373-313 over Megawati, 53, a daughter of Indonesia's revered first president Sukarno.
"I am here to celebrate our victory and our democracy," said Wahid, who is known as a political moderate and leads the Nahdlatul Ulama, the country's largest Islamic non-political organization which claims more than 30 million members nationwide. Megawati also appealed to her supporters to accept Wahid's victory "for the sake of of national unity".
But her loyalists were not to be restrained, reaching an estimated 20,000 in central Jakarta streets at one point. Anti-riot forces used teargas and water cannons to disperse rioters. Hospital staff said at least 50 people were injured in the capital, five of them from a car explosion near the assembly.
Jakarta share prices shed most of a 7.9-percent midday gain in disappointment at market darling Megawati's loss. The rupiah also lost early gains – made right after Habibie stepped aside – to end trading flat at 7,500-7,600 per dollar.
Rampaging Megawati supporters burned the district office, the house of the district head and several other buildings in Singaraja on the tourist island of Bali, the top Jakarta daily newspaper Kompas said in its online news service.
The mob also burned tyres and vandalized postal boxes, public telephones and traffic signs. Megawati is part Balinese and Bali has long been known as "Mega-country".
In the city of Medan on Sumatra island mobs proclaiming support for Megawati burned tyres on major streets.
Discontent over the presidential elections also erupted in the South Sulawesi city of Makassar – this time involving backers of Habibie, who is from the area.
The reaction constrasted with optimism around the world. US President Bill Clinton said the vote "should give us all hope that a very great country that the world needs very much is on the way back".
European Commissioner for External Affairs Chris Patten said it brought Indonesia "a little closer towards democracy". Australian Prime Minister John Howard described Wahid as a reformer and welcomed the chance to "open a new chapter" in relations with Jakarta.
There was still speculation late Wednesday about who would be elected as Wahid's vice president – an all-important post given the concerns over his health, after a stroke last year left him blind in one eye. He is unable to move around without assistance and had to be helped to cast his vote on Wednesday. The vice president is to be elected Thursday.
In a further twist, powerful army chief General Wiranto was said to be willing to accept the vice presidency. Wiranto earlier rejected an offer to be Habibie's running mate in the elections, dealing a sharp blow to Habibie's hopes of serving another term. The army holds 38 seats in the assembly and is seen as key to the country's stability.