SBY to lead antigraft drive
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Hours after taking the oath of office on Wednesday as the country's sixth president, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono vowed to lead the fight against what he called rampant and systemic corruption.
"My administration will actively launch an anticorruption program, which I myself am going to lead," Susilo said in his nationally televised inaugural address at the Merdeka Palace.
The Berlin-based Transparency International (TI) released on Wednesday its latest global corruption index, placing Indonesia among the world's most corrupt countries.
TI said that while Indonesia's corruption index improved to 2.0 in 2004 from 1.9 in 2003, the country's ranking fell as other countries were more effective in fighting corruption than Indonesia.
Since 1999, Indonesia's corruption index has moved between 1.7 and 2.0, suggesting that the reform movement has failed to reduce corruption significantly in the country.
TI's corruption index was based on interviews with business leaders, academics, activists and risk analysts from across Indonesia.
"My administration will do its utmost to establish good governance responsive to the public's needs and aspirations," vowed Susilo, a retired four-star Army general.
Vice President Jusuf Kalla stood beside Susilo as the President delivered the address.
Susilo also pledged to pursue open economic policies that would encourage international investment, while improving productivity and competitiveness.
He said the government would embark on intensive and constructive dialog with the business community, including investors who he hoped could become the engine driving the country's economy.
On the issue of terrorism, Susilo said it would be among his top priorities. "The imminent threat of terrorism and other forms of transnational crimes will continue to haunt us."
However, Susilo warned the country not to expect immediate change. "We must remember that we will be walking a difficult path and will face huge challenges ahead."
Susilo and Kalla took their oaths of office before members of the People's Consultative Assembly on Wednesday morning.
Scores of foreign leaders attended the ceremony, including Australian Prime Minister John Howard, Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah of Brunei, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong of Singapore and Timor L'Este Minister Mari Alkatiri.
One notable absence at the inauguration ceremony was outgoing president Megawati Soekarnoputri.
An aide to Megawati said she decided to skip the ceremony on the grounds that there were no regulations requiring the outgoing president to attend the swearing in of the new president.
Prior to delivering his inaugural address, Susilo said he had expected to deliver the speech during his oath-taking ceremony.
"I had prepared this speech to be read after my inauguration, according to political tradition .... But I deferred because I honor the decision made by the People's Consultative Assembly," Susilo said before delivering the address before hundreds of domestic and foreign journalists at the Merdeka Palace.
Assembly Speaker Hidayat Nur Wahid said the decision not to allow the President to give his address at the Assembly was based on the notion that Susilo was directly elected by the people, which dictated that he should address the nation, not the Assembly members.
Of 675 Assembly members, 611 registered their attendance at the inauguration. Susilo's own political vehicle, the Democratic Party, was the only faction in the Assembly that was fully represented by its members.
The inauguration ceremony for Susilo and Kalla took less than an hour, helped largely by the lack of a speech from the new President.
Susilo took his oath of office while a religious leader held a copy of the Holy Koran above his head, signed the minutes of the inauguration ceremony, joined a prayer and then departed the Assembly for the State Palace.