JAKARTA, Indonesia -- Despite widespread criticism of his government, Indonesian President B.J. Habibie said Monday he is determined to win this week's presidential election.
He also told students to stop staging violent, anti-government protests. Thousands of students have taken to the streets in a series of demonstrations over the past week, protesting everything from Habibie's presidential candidacy to Australia's role in the East Timor crisis.On Wednesday, the 700-member People's Consultative Assembly, the country's highest legislative body, will decide who will be Indonesia's leader for the next five years.
"I don't want to say goodbye. I don't want to bid farewell," Habibie said in an emotional speech to several hundred soldiers and police at a national monument in central Jakarta.
He also said that as Indonesia's commander-in-chief, he expects the security forces to prevent protesters from storming parliament or closing the city's business district, no matter what the outcome of the election.
However, after he spoke, about 5,000 students demanding the election of Habibie's main rival, opposition leader Megawati Sukarnoputri, filled a main traffic circle in Jakarta, protesting noisily.
"We will be here until Mega becomes president. If she isn't elected, we will start a revolution," said Zaenal Surrahman, one of many students wearing red, the color of Megawati's party. Other students waved red banners.
In a separate demonstration in the city's business district, about 1,000 white-collar workers gathered to protest against Habibie.
At a third site, 500 soldiers closed Jakarta's main road, pushing about 100 protesters near Atmajaya University down a side street. Last week, students threw Molotov cocktails in this same spot in a clash with police.
Habibie is one of three candidates for the presidency. Appointed, not elected, he took over 16 months ago when his authoritarian predecessor and mentor, President Suharto, was forced by protests and riots to quit after 32 years of iron-fisted rule.
Habibie introduced basic democratic changes, but his popularity has sunk because of his close ties to Suharto and his handling of the East Timor crisis. He has also been criticized for a banking corruption scandal linked to his inner circle.