Susilo attempts to dampen public's high expectations

Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta

In an apparent attempt tone down the public's high expectations of his new administration, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono stressed on Wednesday that the success of his 100-day program should not be used as an indicator of success of his government.

In a speech to mark his first 30 days in office on Wednesday, Susilo said it would be impossible for him to solve the country's problems within only 100 days, as some analysts seemed to be suggesting.

"I would like to call my first four weeks as the beginning of everything. I am aware that many are taking the success of the 100-day program as an indicator of the success of the government ... I want to make it clear that the 100-day program cannot and will not solve all the problems and issues," Susilo said in a one-hour speech.

Susilo, a retired four-star Army general, took his oath of office on Oct. 20 after winning 61 percent of the vote in the election runoff last Sept. 20.

He said that the success of the government should be assessed at the end of his five-year term in 2009.

The President said that the first three months of his government would focus more on the identification of problems and the framing of the solutions to these problems.

He also said that the government would focus on a consolidation process, the resolving of actual issues, and the setting of the agenda for the next five years.

Susilo had promised to make major changes within 100 days of taking office. However, since them he has been repeatedly trying to convince the public that he may not be able to deliver as much as expected within that short timeframe.

He has promised to make another "accountability speech" at the end of his second month in office.

Susilo once again reiterated his commitment to fighting corruption, saying that he would issue a presidential instruction on corruption in all levels of bureaucracy and would chair a monthly Cabinet meeting to direct the anti-graft drive.

"I have ordered the Attorney General to speed up the investigation process in major corruption cases and, once again, I underline that all state officials involved in graft should resign, and will be processed in accordance with the law," he said.

In his lengthy speech, the President also referred to his earlier tense relations with the House of Representatives, and expressed gratitude that relations were improving by the day.

"I would like to stress that the tension was not intentional on the part of the two sides. But I really appreciate that the situation is improving and we can begin a partnership," Susilo said.