More than 8,000 students and other protesters chanted "Downwith Suharto! Down with Suharto!" and vowed to maintain their campaign to force the 76-year-old leader to give up power after hearing his speech on radios.

About 100 students scaled the roof of parliament's mainbuilding, brandished the national flag and banners demanding that Suharto go and go now.

In his most detailed rejection of increasingly vocal demands for his resignation, Suharto said he would stay, but would begin reforms. He promised to hold fresh elections under a new electoral law as soon as possible and that he would not run again.

"It's lies, all lies!" yelled protester Yudha. "He should step down because that's what the people want."

Many in the crowd doubted Suharto would honour his promise to hold newelections.

"He has made many political promises in the past, but they were never fulfilled -- we do not believe him," said Kusairi.

Thousands of protesters gathered at the parliamentary complex in central Jakarta and some climbed onto a wide second-floor balcony on the three-storey main building to unfurl banners saying "Down with Suharto" and "We want reform".

Others, clad in jackets bearing university colours of blue, yellow or green, chanted slogans and waved anti-Suharto banners.Only a small number of troops guarded the complex, but several hundred members of a pro-government youth movement gathered in the grounds, dressed in orange and black uniforms.