THE hour hand pointed to four last Wednesday: pre-dawn at the Atlet Century Park Hotel in Senayan, Jakarta. The white carpet rolled out in the lobby of the hotels 17th floor was covered with guests and around 100 people sought relief from exhaustion by sitting or lying down on the carpet. Even with the late (or early) hour, loud laughter occasionally erupted.

Several hours earlier, supporters of the former armed forces chief Gen. (ret) Wiranto wer