Army Helps Habibie Avert a Nascent Coup
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 that promotions were up to the military, and left. Prabowo
refused to go, departing only after an aide pretended Wiranto was on the phone.
He came back the next day, this time with troops, and confronted Habibie, who
again denied his request. Fearing a coup, security forces escorted Habibie to the
adjoining palace and put him under heavy guard, while the army went on high
alert. That night Wiranto stripped Prabowo of his command and reassigned him
to head a military staff college.