Indonesia's new president B.J. HABIBIE had been in office less than 70 hours when he faced the first of what will probably be a series of crises that will mark his presidency. Sources close to the President tell TIME that on May 23, Habibie was confronted at his office by LIEUT. GENERAL PRABOWO SUBIANTO, son-in-law of former PRESIDENT SUHARTO and the head of the powerful Army Strategic Reserve Command. The general "strongly requested" that Habibie name him army Chief of Staff and replace the chief of the armed forces, GENERAL WIRANTO, with a Prabowo ally. Frightened, Habibie told the volatile general...
Indonesia
Army Helps Habibie Avert a Nascent Coup
Subscriber content preview.
or
Log-In
To continue reading:
or
Log-In