JAKARTA - Indonesian Parliament Speaker Akbar Tandjung's political influence could be set to rebound following his release from detention last week, although he faces another court hearing over graft accusations on Monday.

Analysts say his release on Friday after a month behind bars gives him a chance to bolster his position in Golkar, the second largest party in Parliament, which he leads.

The release puts Tandjung in a position to resume all his normal activities.

"With the guarantee from his wife that Akbar Tandjung won't run away or make the trial difficult, the judges approved the request" he be freed, a court spokesman said on Friday. "He can go anywhere as long as he comes at the time of a trial session or for questioning."

Tandjung's Golkar Party is in President Megawati Sukarnoputri's government coalition and without it she would lack a parliamentary majority. Her Indonesian Democratic Party-struggle (PDI-P) is Parliament's biggest but has only a third of the seats.

--- Walking a Tightrope ---

She is walking a tightrope between fulfilling her promises to fight corruption by letting cases against tandjung and other Golkar figures go forward, while not alienating the party as a whole to the point where it would abandon her government.

Some young Golkar cadres, vying for control ahead of the 2004 general election, do want to oust the powerful politician who heads the once ruling party, and have support from others whom Tandjung has alienated since he came to power in 1998.

However, senior Golkar official Ferry Mursydan Baldan told Reuters: "It's true there is a faction who want to oust (Tandjung), but they are not strong and they are opposed by the regional members who make up the majority of the party."

"The movement is only strong among the leadership but not in the grassroots."

Tandjung is charged with abuse of power and graft over 40 billion rupiah ($4 million) in funds from the bulog state logistics agency. He has denied any wrongdoing.

--- Major Challenge ---

The trial poses a major challenge to Golkar's efforts to clean up its image, already tainted by its three-decade-long association with former strongman Suharto.

When the trial began, former Attorney General Marzuki Darusman, himself a senior Golkar member, said Tandjung had become a liability to the party.

"Even if he's acquitted, the damage has been done...the party would have to decide whether we could go into the (2004) elections with that kind of a profile."

And some analysts had said the stigma of being dragged to court would probably cost Tandjung his post at Golkar.

But political analyst Amir Santoso said Tandjung now has a chance to protect his position -- harder to do from a jail cell.

"Although the trial process is not finished yet, but as an experienced politician (he) has held many cards of information about other politicians and he can use that to bargain," Santoso told Reuters.

Some analysts believe Tandjung's case -- if vigorously pursued -- could lead to revelations about prominent politicians outside Golkar, including in Megawati's PDI-P.

--- Pressure or Deal ---

Given that background, independent lawyers have questioned his release, saying it may have stemmed from political pressure or some kind of deal.

"How can this possibly happen? there is a discrimination. If a suspect gets political support...the judges seem to be afraid, but if a suspect doesn't get support he remains in jail," said Frans Hendra Winata, a member of the National Law Commission.

But Tandjung's lawyer, Amir Dyamsuddin, denied there was any political deal or pressure behind the release.

"His release is based on this country's judicial system which upholds the principle of presumed innocent...the court must not treat the defendant as the guilty one before a guilty verdict is passed," Syamsuddin told Reuters.