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JAKARTA : President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono will be sworn in for a second term on Tuesday, making him Indonesia's first directly elected president to be returned to power.
Indonesians have high hopes for President Yudhoyono - to see if he delivers on his promises in the next five years.
Five years ago, the then 60-year-old former army general became the country's first elected president, after winning a landslide victory. This year he once again thumped his opponents at the polls - a sign of his immense popularity.
There is now a greater sense of optimism among Indonesians under President Yudhoyono's leadership. His government has skillfully handled the economy and continues to nurture the country's infant democracy. And his second term will be no less easy.
"The fact that there is a high degree of expectations from the public, even including the pessimist middle class, I think the high expectation will make them scrutinise everything that the president is going to do in this next five years," said Sunny Tanuwidjaja, Centre for Strategic and International Studies, Indonesia.
The first scrutiny will be on his 34-member Cabinet. The line-up will reflect his government's priorities in the next 5 years even as he reserves a number of posts for political allies from his coalition partners.
And with a firm grip on the legislature, there is almost nothing to stop President Yudhoyono from implementing his agenda.
"The real issue is not so much whether he has power because parliament supports him. It's... his policy agenda - to what extend he can go to the public and explain exactly what are the key things that need to be done and get the public behind him," said Satish Mishra at Strategic Asia.
Observers are watching keenly to see if President Yudhoyono will be bolder in pushing for difficult reforms in areas such as the civil service and judiciary. He also needs to overcome structural issues in the economy to create a more conducive business environment and more jobs.
"I think he is a person who is very concerned about his ability to leave a good, strong legacy in Indonesian history. I think in that aspect, we should be cautiously optimistic about him... the fact that he seriously wants to be a good president in Indonesia history," said Tanuwidjaja.
President Yudhoyono made 17 promises in the recent election. Top on that list is to grow the economy at 7 per cent annually - that is even higher than the 6.5 per cent achieved under the late president Suharto's rule.
Walking the streets in capital Jakarta, one can sense the stability under President Yudhoyono's leadership.
There was a terrorist attack in the capital recently, but that was the first in 4 years, and all of the perpetrators were swiftly killed or arrested in 3 months. That reflects President Yudhoyono's determination not to allow dark forces to hinder Indonesia's progress. - CNA /ls
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