Ex-general sworn in as Indonesian president
Megawati skips inauguration ceremony
Reuters, Jakarta
Former general Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono took office as Indonesia's first directly elected leader yesterday after sweeping to power by vowing faster job growth, a war on corruption and tough punishment for terrorists. A solemn-looking Yudhoyono was sworn in at parliament in front of the very legislators many expect will challenge the big popular mandate he won in Indonesia's historic democratic presidential ballot last month. He is expected to announce his cabinet on Wednesday evening. Outgoing leader Megawati Sukarnoputri, embittered over her crushing defeat at the hands of her former chief security minister, skipped the low-key swearing-in ceremony. Wearing a dark suit and a black Muslim cap, Yudhoyono promised in his brief oath to work hard and pledged just rule for the world's most populous Muslim nation. The leaders of Australia, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei and East Timor attended. "This is an important moment in Indonesian history," Australian Prime Minister John Howard told Yudhoyono on behalf of the other leaders when they all met after the ceremony. Yudhoyono is scheduled to make his first speech as leader at 3.00 p.m. (0400 EDT). He has already said he might have to introduce tougher laws to tackle terrorists linked to al-Qaeda who have been blamed for a spate of bombings in recent years. The inauguration marked a major step forward in Indonesia's democratic transition following a turbulent six years since former longtime strongman Suharto stepped down. Yudhoyono is the country's fourth president since then. The landslide election victory of a man popularly known by his initials has sparked hope among ordinary Indonesians and also foreign investors of better times after Megawati's stable but ineffectual rule.
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