Indonesian Government Under Attack

Riot police used tear gas and batons to disperse thousands of anti-government demonstrators Friday as harsh criticism mounted of President B. J. Habibie, eroding his chances of retaining his post in a vote next week.

About 30 protesters were hospitalized after clashes that left 10 policemen injured and closed the business district of Jakarta, the capital, for hours. The turmoil raised the prospect of further instability in Indonesia, already reeling from political unrest and its worst economic crisis in decades.

Habibie frowned and took notes in the national legislature Friday night as disgruntled members of the 700-member People’s Consultative Assembly assailed his 16 1/2 months in office. The assembly, Indonesia’s highest lawmaking body, will vote Wednesday to elect the country’s next head of state.

Within the next few days, the assembly will also vote whether to accept or reject the speech Habibie made Thursday night defending his record. If it rejects the speech, Habibie will have little choice but to withdraw his nomination for the presidency.

The session, which continued into this morning, was evidence of the difficulty the world’s fourth most populous nation is having making a transition to democracy after decades of authoritarian rule under former President Suharto.

Open debate is a new experience for most Indonesians, who were accustomed to Suharto’s strict control over political activity. He ensured that the assembly was nothing more than a rubber stamp for his 32-year rule.

Habibie, Suharto’s protege, is one of three presidential candidates. The others are Megawati Sukarnoputri, daughter of founding President Sukarno, and Abdurrahman Wahid of the Muslim-oriented National Awakening Party.

Habibie offered an impassioned defense of his work to the legislators Thursday night, declaring that he introduced democracy and saved Indonesia’s battered economy. He also blamed past authoritarian leaders for leaving him the “gigantic task” of solving Indonesia’s problems.

But when the assembly reconvened Friday, speaker after speaker attacked him.

“Habibie is Suharto’s crony and Suharto’s shadow,” said Zulvan Lindan of the opposition Indonesian Democratic Party in Struggle, led by Megawati.

Even Habibie’s own Golkar party, which nominated him for the presidency, questioned his handling of two key matters--the dropping of a corruption investigation against Suharto, and the East Timor crisis. Critics say Suharto, his family and friends amassed fortunes during his rule.