Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono is sworn in as Indonesian President for second term during the inaugural ceremony at parliament on October 20, 2009. (Xinhua/Yue Yuewei) Photo Gallery>>>

    JAKARTA, Oct. 20 (Xinhua) -- Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono was sworn in on Tuesday for his second term of 2009-2014 in a respect inauguration ceremony attended by several friendly heads of states and foreign country special envoys.

    Vice President Boediono was also sworn in the ceremony, which was chaired by the Upper House's chairman Taufik Kiemas and attended by 647 members of the institution.

    Former President BJ Habibie, former Vice President (VP) Jusuf Kalla, and former VP Try Soetrisno were also present.

    Taufik Kiemas in his opening speech said that the inauguration was held amidst sad moment following the earthquake that hit West Sumatra province on Sept. 30.

    "We are together here amidst sad moment where our brothers in West Sumatra still live at emergency tents after the quake damaged their houses. Hopefully, God gives them strength," said Taufik.

    Following the opening speech, an official from the General Elections Commission read the agency's ruling related to the result of the elections.

    "We decided that the pair of Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono achieved 73,874,562 votes or 60.80 percent of total 121,504,581 votes," said the official.

    Taufik said that Indonesia is proud of having the presidential election successful, saying that the moment showed the world that the country managed to hold the event democratically.

    "We hope that Indonesia will be better in the future," he said.

    He also welcomed several heads of state and special envoys from other countries.

    "We would like to welcome Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah from Brunei, President Jose Ramos Horta from Timor-Leste, Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Australian Minister Kevin Rudd, Malaysian Prime Minister M Najib Tun Abdul Razak as well as special envoys from friendly countries," said Taufik.

    China sent Ambassador for Indonesia Zhang Qiuye to attend the ceremony. Other special envoys were from New Zealand, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand and the United States.

    As part of the inauguration ceremony, Yudhoyono and Boediono took oaths as president and vice president.

    "As the elect-president in the presidential election on 2009 based on the General Election Commission's ruling, I will take an oath before I do my job as the head of state in front of members of the Upper House. And, I will take the oath as a Muslim," said Yudhoyono.

    "For God's sake, I swear that I will do my jobs as best and fair as possible. I will strongly conduct mandate from the 1945 Constitution and other rules and I will be loyal to the nation and the country," said Yudhoyono.

    The oath was followed by Vice President Boediono with the same sentences.

    After taking the oath, the two leaders signed an official report of the inauguration.

    Taufik said that the pairs had won people's hearts and mandate to lead the country. However, he said that the pairs should lead it fairly.

    "I would like to remind the president and the VP that they do not just belong to certain groups. So, they have to treat all elements and parties in the country fairly," said Taufik.

    He also said that the inauguration was a historical day that proved to the world that Indonesia strongly holds democracy.

    After signing the official report of the inauguration, Yudhoyono gave his speech as the president for his second term of 2009-2014.

    "To former President BJ Habibie, former VP Try Soetrisno, former VP Jusuf Kalla, all heads of state, special envoys from friendly countries, chairmen and vice chairmen of state institutions, ambassadors, international organizations, and governors, today I and Mr. Boediono just took an oath as president and vice president that will carry people's mandate for the next five years," he said.

    Yudhoyono thanked his former VP Jusuf Kalla who had accompanied him for the last five years.

    "I thanked and appreciated Mr. Jusuf Kalla for his service and devotion to the government, the nation and the country, that will be remembered eternally. And for the former ministers in my first cabinet, I also thanked for their efforts and programs to improve the country," said Yudhoyono.

    He also said that the day will be recorded in the history that Indonesia could stands still as a democratic country amidst turbulence.

    "Also, today amidst financial turbulence, our economy still grows and in fact it is predicted to achieve the third highest economic growth in the world," he said.

    Indonesians, he added, are still in harmony amidst 'wave of disintegration', that other nations called the country as ' Remarkable Indonesia' because it is considered as a nation that is successful in handling hard problems in the last 10 years.

    "However, I should remind all people not to be careless. We still have to sail in the ocean with high wave and storm," he said.

    Yudhoyono added that the world's economy is not fully recovered with oil and other commodities still fluctuate.

    "Indeed, we see recovery symptoms. But we have to strengthen our economic joints to minimize the impact of the crisis," he said.

    He said that reforms are not finished yet and the country should further decrease poverty and unemployment.

    "Our achievement is always followed by other challenges that we should deal. God's willing, Indonesia will keep advancing," he said.

    President Yudhoyono also said that Indonesia managed to hold peaceful and democratic general elections this year.

    "This is the third year that we could hold a fair general election," he said, referring the 1999 and 2004 as the first and second fair general elections.

    He said that in an election, winning or losing is a normal thing but in democracy, all people win.

    "In this occasion I would like to thank to pairs of Megawati Soekarnoputri and Prabowo Subianto as well as pairs of Jusuf Kallaand Wiranto, for their participation in the presidential election," said Yudhoyono, referring to his former rivals.

    He said that they are meritorious in encouraging democratic life.

    "Now, let's be united and develop the country," he said.

    Yudhoyono said that he and Boediono have prepared programs for 100 days, one year and five years of their administration.

    "There are essence in building the nation, namely welfare improvement, democracy and justice," he said.

    The president also said that there are several keys for success in building the nation.

    "Don't give up, maintain the unity and togetherness and guard our identity as Indonesian," he said.

    He said that different opinion is common in democratic life but Indonesians should not be broke up.

    He said that Indonesians have four foundations in building the nation.

    "We have Pancasila as our nation's ideology, our unity of United Nation of Republic of Indonesia, 1945 Constitution and our motto of Unity in Diversity

    President Yudhoyono also reiterated Indonesians' stance in maintaining relationship with other countries.

    "We will continue our foreign policy of free and active," he said, referring to the policy of not intervening other countries' domestic affairs and actively participating in developing the world.

    He said that Indonesia adopts "a fresh nationalism and dynamics internationalism."

    "With the policy, Indonesia hopes that we have million friends and zero enemies," he said.

    Indonesians, he said, would like to cooperate with any other countries to build peaceful global governance.

    "We'd like to pioneer saving the Earth from climate change," he said.

    In the end, Yudhoyono once again thanked people's trust in him and Boediono to lead the country.

    "Let's continue our hard works and smart works. God's willing, our nation has his blessing, so that we could maintain our democratic and just nation," he said.

    President Yudhoyono was re-elected at the direct presidential poll on July 8 with single majority.

    Yudhoyono and Boediono, a technocrat in economy, are hailed by investors and business as they are expected to push reform in the southeast Asia largest economy, which has registered the third highest economic growth at the second quarter and the third-highest in the world after China and India, when others countries suffered due to contraction.

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