JAKARTA (Reuters) - Indonesia's new leader outlined her vision for running the troubled nation on Thursday, promising to restore order and apologizing to the rebellious provinces of Aceh and Irian Jaya for decades of human rights abuses.But she warned the two resource-rich regions at either end of the archipelago that they would never be allowed to break away.
In a lengthy speech marking the anniversary of independence from Dutch colonial rule 56 years ago, President Megawati Sukarnoputri told Indonesia's long-suffering people it would take time to drag the country out of four years of economic and political mayhem.
The daughter of Indonesia's founding father Sukarno took power more than three weeks ago but until now has said little about how she plans to steer the world's fourth most populous country out of one of the most dire periods in its history.
``Our multitude of crises certainly cannot be overcome all at once ... Only by (working together) can we gradually emerge from this time which has been very painful for us all,'' she said in an address to parliament that was broadcast nationwide.
Megawati pulled no punches in her assessment of Indonesia's myriad woes, adding that improving security and preventing any provinces from breaking away were among her top priorities.
She said gross human rights abuses committed by the military off the battlefield must be dealt with, although she also urged the armed forces to maintain the territorial integrity of the nation -- a pursuit that has often led soldiers into brutality.
Megawati promised to fight graft -- revealing she had asked her family to remain clean and ordered cabinet ministers to disclose their wealth. Measures transferring control over finances to far-flung regions would remain in place, she added.
CONSTITUTION A STICKY ISSUE
One of Megawati's biggest challenges will be to revive an economy savaged by the Asian financial crisis of the late 1990s.
Many analysts expect the president to leave many details to the economic professionals that stud her new cabinet.
Megawati said the constitution -- a vague document drawn up by her father -- needed fixing if Indonesia was to avoid the recent political instability that has bedeviled the nation.
This would include debate on the relationship between the executive and legislature along with the system of electing leaders, she said. Her disgraced predecessor, Abdurrahman Wahid, often accused legislators who sacked him last month for incompetence of violating the constitution.
Indonesia actually marks its 56th independence anniversary from some 350 years of Dutch rule on Friday.