A former general has been sworn in as Indonesia's sixth president after sweeping into power by vowing faster job growth, a war on corruption and tough punishment for terrorists.
A solemn-looking Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono took the oath of office this morning inside a cavernous hall at parliament in front of the very legislators many expect will challenge the big popular mandate he won in Indonesia's first direct presidential election last month.
He is expected to announce his cabinet this evening. Outgoing leader Megawati Sukarnoputri, embittered over her crushing defeat at the hands of her former chief security minister, did not attend 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.
Yudhoyono is scheduled to make his first speech as leader at 3.00 p.m. (9 a.m. Irish time) from the presidential palace.
His inauguration marked a major step forward in Indonesia's democratic transition after a violent and turbulent six years since autocrat Suharto, a former general who ruled with an iron fist for three decades, stepped down amid social chaos. Yudhoyono is the country's fourth president since then.
Popularly known by his initials, Yudhoyono takes office with few doubts about his sincerity or intellectual ability.
But one question mark hanging over his five-year term is his reputation for being indecisive. He must also face a hostile parliament where several big parties have formed an opposition.
"Many close and long-term observers of SBY think that he is hesitant, changes easily, and has difficulty making decisions. A classic flip-flopper," said William Liddle, an expert on Indonesia from Ohio State University.
"So I will be looking for firmness, single-mindedness, the core of an overall policy vision. Appointing both protectionists and free marketeers to key economic policy positions will be an early negative sign of likely policy inconsistency."
Those signs are already there. Yudhoyono may in the end not appoint the IMF's respected chief for Southeast Asia, Sri Mulyani Indrawati, as finance minister, amid protests from groups unhappy about her IMF links.
However, another free-market economist, Mari Pangestu, is still expected to become trade minister.
Jakarta stocks have risen some five percent since the presidential election run-off on Sept 20.
The challenges facing Yudhoyono are enormous.
Indonesia's economy is not growing fast enough to absorb millions of new job entrants each year while investment as a percentage of gross domestic product is at its lowest level since the early 1970s partly because of graft and an unpredictable legal system.