JAKARTA (AFP) -- Reviled by many as symbols of kleptocratic misrule, the children of Indonesia's late former dictator Suharto are staging a political comeback after more than a decade in the wilderness.

Suharto's son Hutomo Mandala Putra, popularly known as Tommy, and daughter Siti Hardiyanti Rukmana, alias Tutut, have thrown their hats into the ring as rivals to head the once-dominant Golkar Party.
Tommy, who is also vying to become Indonesia's president, according to aides, in particular faces an uphill battle to revive his fortunes.
He was released from prison in 2006 after serving four years of a 15-year term for ordering the murder of a Supreme Court judge who had convicted him of corruption.
A flamboyant playboy whose rumored dalliances with young starlets are a tabloid staple, Tommy, 47, continues to face down corruption cases stemming from his time as favoured son in the crony capitalism of Suharto's 32-year rule.
Officially launching his candidacy for the Golkar chairmanship on Thursday, Tommy struck a populist tone against President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, who was re-elected to a second five-year term earlier this year by a landslide.
Tommy, who still has extensive business interests in Indonesia, promised free education and healthcare.
“As for my businesses, there are already professionals who take care of them and I will just monitor it from behind,” Tommy said, adding: “These businesses also create job opportunities for a lot of Indonesians.”
Tutut, a 60-year-old former minister in Suharto's cabinet with businesses ranging from toll roads to television, has made a more restrained bid for the Golkar chairmanship, in line with the lower profile she has assumed since her father's fall in 1998.
While both siblings have pots of cash to fund their campaigns ahead of Golkar's October grand meeting, political observers say they face one major hurdle: plenty of Indonesians just do not like them.
Suharto, who died aged 86, is remembered fondly by many Indonesians as a strong leader who oversaw growth and stability, despite rights abuses and the alleged theft of billions of dollars.
His children, on the other hand, are seen as having few of their father's saving graces, Golkar executive Indra Piliang said.
“People know Suharto fell from grace because of his children,” he said.
For activists, the Suharto family's move to return to the centre of political life is just another sad sign of the culture of impunity that has persisted despite the Muslim-majority country's transition to democracy.
“Right up until Suharto's death, he couldn't be brought to justice. This is (the Suharto family's) attempt to return to an authoritarian system,” Human Rights Working Group head Rafendi Djamin said.
“Tommy is himself the symbol of impunity,” Djamin said.
Sri Bintang Pamungkas, an activist who criticized Suharto during his reign, said: “In order for this country to rise, everyone who is linked to Suharto and his regime should stay away from this country's political leadership.”
Suharto's children can gain comfort from the fact that many in Indonesia are too young to remember Suharto's rule clearly, while many others are happy to forget -- or overlook -- the excesses of his children.
In an interview with Indonesian Esquire magazine in April, Tommy talked about his time in prison, his ongoing passion for motor racing and his reputation as a “magnet” for women.
Asked what philosophy he learned from his parents, Tommy said: “Do good for the environment, religion, the nation and the country. If we do good of course we'll be rewarded.”