The new chief of Indonesia's powerful armed forces has been sworn in, promising to protect President Megawati Sukarnoputri from any unconstitutional move to topple her government.
"I will not tolerate anyone who is trying to destabilise the government because it only brings harm to this nation," army General Endriartono Sutarto said on Friday.
The armed forces "will not interfere as long as [political changes] take place constitutionally," Sutarto told reporters.
During his tenure as army chief, Sutarto defied an attempt by Megawati's predecessor Abdurrahman Wahid to declare a state of emergency. This would have allowed Wahid to disband the legislature, which later sacked him in favour of Megawati.
Sutarto, sworn in by Megawati, replaces Admiral Adisucipto Widodo but does not take over till June 18. The military said in a statement this was because Widodo "still has activities remaining which must be completed in accordance with his duties." It gave no details. Sutarto, 55, was head of the presidential security unit under former dictator Suharto.
He said the military would "maintain its commitment to the public to stay away" from politics and focus on its defence role. The military played a dominant role in civilian affairs under Suharto in a system known as "dwi fungsi" (dual functions). Since then, legislative seats reserved for the armed forces have been reduced by half to 38 and are due to be phased out in 2009.
But the military, whose costs are only partially met by the state budget, still controls an extensive business empire.
Sutarto also said the military "will not tolerate separatism by anyone, anywhere." The armed forces has been in the spotlight for rights abuses when combating separatist rebellions in Aceh and Papua as well as in East Timor in 1999.
Under a congressional amendment the US is barred from military sales or training programs with Indonesia until Jakarta accounts for the armed forces' role in the East Timor killings.
On Tuesday Sutarto's successor as army chief, Lieutenant General Ryamizard Ryacudu, was sworn in. He also vowed to stay away from politics.
According to figures given to parliament by Sutarto, the armed forces total 337,485 – 261,173 army personnel, 52,118 in the navy and 24,194 in the air force.