Indonesia's new president has warned his countrymen to abandon high expectations of quick fixes to rampant corruption, sectarian and separatist conflict, widespread unemployment and the threat of terrorism.
In his first policy address since taking office last month Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono declined to outline a hotly anticipated 100-day programme to fulfill reform promises, saying his government had barely scratched the surface.
"What is clear is that the government's first 100 day program is not to, and will not, settle all problems," Yudhoyono said in a speech broadcast late Wednesday.
The president, who beat his predecessor Megawati Sukarnoputri in September polls to become Indonesia's first elected leader, said he would use the first three months to plot a course for his five years in office. During this time, he said he would "identify the problems, set down an agenda and aims."
Yudhoyono has promised to tackle the endemic corruption that has scared away badly needed foreign investment and prevented the economy from matching the economic growth achieved by its regional rivals.
He said the government would strictly enforce anti-graft laws, while fostering a culture of transparency. "The principles of rewards and punishment will be further enforced in the future," he said.
Yudhoyono said he would build on financial stability achieved by his predecessor while addressing unresolved issues such as high unemployment and widespread poverty among the country's 223 million people.
"What has been successfully achieved by the government of president Megawati Sukarnoputri such as the economic growth that took place and the stabilisation of the macro economy ... needs to be safeguarded," he said.
In fighting terrorism, Yudhoyono pledged to step up action to hunt those behind a series of deadly attacks in Indonesia as well as increasing intelligence efforts to prevent further strikes. Indonesia, the world's largest Muslim-populated country has been blighted by a series of attacks by Islamic militants in recent years, culminating in the October 2002 Bali bombings in which 202 people were killed. That attack and others, including a September 9 suicide bomb attack on the Australian embassy in Jakarta, have been blamed on the Al-Qaeda-linked Jemaah Islamiyah regional militant organisation.
Yudhoyono said his government would also work to resolve separatist conflicts in the far-flung provinces of Papua and Aceh and end simmering sectarian conflict on the island of Sulawesi.
Earlier Wednesday, Yudhoyono announced a six month extension of a state of civil emergency in resource-rich Aceh, where government troops are trying to crush a long-running rebellion.
The government says thousands of guerrillas have been killed in Aceh since the start of the military operation 18 months ago. Rights groups say many of the dead are civilians.