Former president Megawati Soekarnoputri did not attend Indonesia's presidential inauguration on Tuesday because she was not feeling well, her daughter said.

"She had a health problem so she could not attend the inaguration," Puan Maharani, who is also a member of the House, told TV One.

The general secretary of Megawati's Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), Pramono Anung, said former presidents are not obligated to attend inaugurations.

Megawati also failed to appear at Yudhoyono's inauguration in 2004, after he defeated her in Indonesia's first direct presidential election. Former president Abdurrahman Wahid missed the ceremony as well.

Gus Dur, as he is commonly known, "could not come because he had a stomachache," said his spokesman Bambang Susanto. He added that the former president had gone to Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital to seek medical advice.

"Gus Dur will congratulate President Yudhoyono and Vice President Boediono as soon as possible," said Bambang.