Robert Go, Jakarta – Indonesia's former military chief Wiranto has been making a not-so-quiet pitch for the top job in the country.

The charges of crimes against humanity filed by Timor Leste's prosecutors last week are unlikely to be a major obstacle in his bid to do so. But few are willing to bet yet that he will emerge as one of the strongest contenders for the post when elections take place next year.

Analysts say that most Indonesians want to forget about how their country lost one of its provinces, so the Timor Leste-related charges will mean little domestically.

In fact, despite strong indications of the military's possible involvement in the razing of Timor Leste – then East Timor – in 1999, Indonesian human rights tribunals have to date registered more acquittals than convictions against the officers charged.

The same may apply to Gen Wiranto, who spoke out in his own defence recently, saying he tried to prevent violence from breaking out as the people of Timor Leste went to vote for independence.

But his case aside, the general has been winning hearts and minds as he goes about networking with various political and social groups in the country.

His campaign really began over two years ago when he launched a CD titled For You My Indonesia in October 2000, a collection of folk tunes sung in karaoke fashion that clicked with Indonesians at home and abroad.

The soaring sales countered criticism from Western observers who sniggered at the public relations stunt.

And the singing general gained further mileage by donating the proceeds from the sales of the CD to the Indonesian Red Cross and refugees driven from their homes by conflicts that ravaged several regions at the time. The goodwill this has generated still persists.

But Gen Wiranto knows his success depends solely on how he navigates the country's fractious political landscape in the months ahead.

He has been fostering ties with both established and new political parties. At the top of his list is Indonesia's second-largest political party, Golkar, which floated his name as one of the five potential presidential candidates. Sources said the Wiranto camp has lobbied numerous cadres of Golkar, particularly at the regional level.

Likewise, the general has made headway with some labour groups, among them the worker-based Indonesian Workers' Congress Party, which named him as its candidate in 2004. He has also approached students and non-government activists.

Tempo magazine last month quoted Indonesian intelligence agents as saying that he had also attended meetings in Jakarta and other cities with dissident figures.

The agenda focused on fanning perceptions that the current government has failed in its bid to reform the country, with a strong hint that things would be better if he got the top job.

Other media reports have suggested that Gen Wiranto also has close ties to Muslim hardline groups, including those who organised the recent protests against government policies, such as the price hikes that were imposed in January.

Daily Republika said in a column last Saturday: "Wiranto is beginning to be accepted as a possible element to head opposition to the present government." But despite all of this, observers say Gen Wiranto still faces an uphill battle and has to win support from a broader segment of the populace if he wants to run next year.

Said political analyst Rizal Mallarangeng: "Wiranto lacks a natural base of power. He is working hard to get support, but so is everybody else."