SBY, sixth president of Indonesia

Ridwan Max Sijabat, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Not so long ago, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono was unlikely presidential material. He was not a politician, and only recently formed a tiny new political party. It seemed that in this reform era, many would have had enough of military figures like him, a retired Army general.

Yet he has proven himself capable of rising to the occasion -- regardless of whether it has been a case of popularity over substance.

He is scheduled to take his oath of office on Wednesday as Indonesia's sixth president, to replace Megawati Soekarnoputri following his landslide victory in the nation's first-ever direct presidential election. His running mate, Jusuf Kalla, will also take over from vice president Hamzah Haz.

Susilo's image as the cool conqueror in this presidential race has played out to the end of Megawati's term, as reports have continued of the incumbent declining to congratulate him or even attend his inauguration.

The president-elect will be held to his word -- he has promised to listen to the people who have given him a solid mandate.

"This victory ... is of all Indonesian people who want to see real changes they entrusted me to make. I will keep my promise ... and listen to what the people want me to do in the next five years," he said after he and his wife, Kristiani Herawati, visited his mother, Habibah, in Blitar, East Java, recently.

The former chief security minister conceded that he was far from perfect and has made many mistakes in his military and government career, but said: "The important thing is the readiness to make corrections, to listen to others and learn from others' experience to avoid similar mistakes."

From the nation's haphazard experiences with presidents, he knew that this remark would hit the right button.

Susilo as president will benefit from his broad education and his experience during his military and public service. He graduated in 1973 from the Military Academy in Magelang, and gained a masters degree in management from Webster University in the United States and recently completed his doctorate with the Bogor Institute of Agriculture (very conveniently timed ahead of his inauguration).

Under former strongman Soeharto, Susilo, or SBY as he is popularly called, was among the Army's rising stars along with former Indonesian Military (TNI) chief Gen. Wiranto and former special forces chief, Prabowo Subianto.

From 1996 to 2000, Susilo rose from colonel to lieutenant general, his last position being chief of TNI territorial affairs.

He was one of the architects of reform in the military following Soeharto's demise in May, 1998. Susilo will also be watched closely to see whether he stays true to his pledge to continue military reform, given the contentious clauses in the military bill.

Among his first crucial tests will be how he uses his authority with his "home base", the TNI. After its chief recently resigned somewhat inexplicably, Megawati used the last of her powers to install Army Chief of Staff Gen. Ryamizard Ryacudu to replace Gen. Endriartono Sutarto -- while the TNI headquarters announced that the latter was still in power.

Susilo's campaigners have attempted to avert fears of a military comeback. They draw on a book SBY, Sang Demokrat (SBY the democrat) written long before the campaign, depicting him as a democratic personality.

Born in Pacitan, East Java, on Sept. 9, 1949, to father Soekotjo and mother Habibah, he is described as having shown potential since elementary school. He was raised by his uncle because his parents moved frequently due to his father's military assignments.

Following his failure to secure the vice presidency in 1999, Susilo was recruited by former president Abdurrahman Wahid to serve as minister of energy and mineral resources and coordinating minister for political and security affairs, until 2001. He retained his position in Megawati's Cabinet.

The scholar, Achmad Yani, said in his book Resolusi Konflik (conflict resolution) that SBY has proven his managerial capability in handling several conflicts.

Others might beg to differ, citing the collapse of peace talks with Acehnese rebels under his tenure as chief security minister. But then again it was the people of Nanggroe Aceh Darrussalam who also gave him the majority of votes in last month's poll.

Critics would also question whether, as a high-ranking officer there was anything that he might have done to stop terrible events in recent history, such as the shooting of demonstrating students and the May 1998 riots in several towns, in which over 1,000 people were burned to death and many Chinese-Indonesian women raped.

During the campaign period, particularly since the race for the runoff, all sorts of rumors about Susilo and his family began to emerge and spread.

He was alleged to have made secret deals with the United States to prepare East Timor's separation from Indonesia in 1999; there were fears that given his apparent close ties with the U.S., as indicated by his firm statements on terrorism, he might resume diplomatic ties with Israel.

"We should bear in mind that the higher a plant grows, the stronger the wind blows, yet the stronger the plant stands," he said, referring to a local proverb.

He said that he was ready to be jailed if proven guilty of being involved in the above tragedies and would step down if it was proven that he had turned Indonesia into a U.S. lackey in the region, or if he resumed diplomatic ties with Israel -- perceived here as the oppressor of Palestinians.

He responded to the rumors nevertheless -- including one that he had first married a Filipino, stressing that Kristiani Herawati, daughter of former Military Academy governor Lt. Gen. Sarwo Edhie, was the only woman he had ever married, and with whom they have two sons -- Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono, an Army officer, and Edi Baskoro Yudhoyono, who is still a university student in Australia.

In his first 100 days, Susilo, who has received congratulations from many countries, claims that his top priorities will be fighting corruption and restoring security and public order, apart from going around the country to hear first hand what people want.

"In the spirit of togetherness, I'm optimistic that changes will emerge gradually, but certainly," he said.