Waiting for a new government

The critical question now is who will be the new elected president. If Habibie is reelected it can be said for sure that cases such as the Bank Bali scandal and the investigation of former president Soeharto will never be satisfactorily resolved.

If that were to happen, the market's hopes will be dashed. Investors are hoping that the Bank Bali case can be resolved with speed and fairness. But that is not likely to happen if Habibie is reelected as president -- unless, of course, he can show the world that he has changed and is willing to heed the market's aspirations.

We hope that the newly elected members of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) who have since Monday started arriving in Jakarta for the Assembly's General Session have enough conscience to put the people's interests first. We also hope they remain unswayed by any attempts at bribery -- a possibility feared by many.

-- Bisnis Indonesia, Jakarta