Former Vice President Habibie, 61, unveiled his Cabinet one day after taking over from Suharto, 76, whose 32-year regime crumbled on Thursday when months of popular protests split the ruling clique, which includes the armed forces.In an apparent bid to broaden his support and dispel the image of being a weak transitional leader, Habibie excluded a daughter and a key crony of Suharto and brought non-members of the ruling Golkar Party and military into the Cabinet.

The Jakarta Post reported Friday that Gen. Wiranto, a respected professional soldier, played a crucial role in the fast-moving developments which pried loose Suharto's once iron grip on power.

It said the turning point came when Wiranto, 51, visited Suharto on Wednesday night to deliver a message from the military leadershipasking him to resign rather than face impeachment.

Suharto, himself an ex-soldier who holds the rare honorary rank of five-star general, quit the next morning in favor of Habibie in a simple and hastily arranged televised ceremony at the Merdeka state palace. Earlier, House Speaker Harmoko, in the first sign of an open split in the ruling clique, had given Suharto a Friday deadline in the name of Parliament to step down or face impeachment.

General Wiranto had initially branded the call as illegal but the Post said the military top brass conferred on Wednesday and decided to ask Suharto to quit. In the new Cabinet unveiled Friday, the most notable exclusions were Suharto's daughter Tutut, who was social affairs minister, and his golfing buddy Mohamad `Bob' Hasan, who was trade and industry minister.