Posters have been put up all over Jakarta, (1) Indonesians to make a success

Posters have been put up all over Jakarta, calling on Indonesians to make a success of the people’s consultative assembly. But in practice, there’s very little chance of things growing wrong for President Suharto. Most of the members of the assembly are strong Suharto loyalists. The few who might be inclined to dissent from reappointing Mr. Suharto for another five-year term will not get their voices heard. Most of the assembly’s discussions over the next eleven days are closed to the public. As he already has the full support of Indonesia’s most powerful institutions, the armed forces in the dominant Golkar Party, there was never any real possibility of President Suharto being replaced, despite the severe economic crisis in Indonesia and the fact that there is growing concern over corruption and president’s advance in age. He is already 76 years old. Critics have described the assembly meetings as more like a coronation than an election. But Mr. Suharto is taking no chances. 35,000 troops and police have been deployed in Jakarta alone, to prevent any trouble from breaking out. Over the past months, towns across Indonesia have been hit by food riots and there have been several demonstrations in the capital. Anti-government sentiment is now as high as anyone here can remember, and yet with opposition groups fragmented and unwilling to confront the security forces head on, there’s little chance of Mr. Suharto being forced to step down. Even some of the president’s most strident critics acknowledge that he still has all the cards in his hands, and for now, he alone can decide who should replace him and when.