JAKARTA, Oct 20 (AFP) - Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, who was sworn in for a second term Tuesday, is set for another term of cautious reform weighed down by plodding leadership and sticky alliances, analysts say.

The ex-general was re-elected in July on the strength of his track-record of steady leadership, and on promises to boost economic growth, fight corruption and ensure stability in the Muslim-majority nation of 234 million people.

At his swearing-in, he said the incoming government would have a five-year goal to "improve welfare, strengthen democracy and the legal system".

Hopes had been high that the 60-year-old's landslide win would allow him to dump dead weight from the outgoing cabinet in favour of capable technocrats and bright young talent.

But analysts say that while SBY, as he is known, will form a government that will go part of the way, reform will be stymied by his characteristic cautiousness and messy alliances with Indonesia's political elites.

"He was elected as president with more than 60 percent of the vote, so I think because of that he (should have been) strong enough to become a president that can implement his own program," Indonesian Institute of Sciences political analyst Ikrar Nusa Bhakti told AFP.

"The question is why in the second term of his presidency he's still trying to get support not only from the (other) political parties but also mass organisations.

"I think in my opinion he will be very busy with party politics but not very busy with how to strengthen Indonesia."

The exact shape of Yudhoyono's incoming cabinet will not be known until Wednesday, but it looks almost certain to be a mix of technocrats and politicians from a rainbow coalition of at least six of the nine parties in parliament, with a combined tally of 423 of the House's 560 seats.

Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati and Trade Minister Mari Pangestu are tipped to stay at the heart of an expert economic team credited with helping keep Indonesia hovering at around 4.0-4.5 percent growth this year.

His choice of former central bank governor Boediono as vice president has also won plaudits.

But outside this, Yudhoyono's coalition of secular and Islamic parties -- with few shared principles or programmes -- is a recipe for dithering government, University of Indonesia political scientist Arbi Sanit said.

"Compared to Suharto, Yudhoyono's government embraces democracy but is not effective; Suharto's government was not democratic but it was effective," Sanit said, referring to the country's former dictator, who was overthrown in 1998.

An enfeebled, disunited opposition is also likely to threaten the vitality of debate in the world's third biggest democracy after India and the United States, he said.

On the foreign-policy front, political analyst Wimar Witoelar said there was cause for optimism.

Seen as relatively clean and unimpeachably moderate, Yudhoyono has proved a globally palatable figurehead for Indonesia's rising image as a key developing economy and Muslim democracy.

"Indonesia has a golden chance with foreign diplomacy as SBY already has a good global image," Witoelar said.

"Indonesia has a bigger role to play in climate change and also peacekeeping, among other things. Ultimately, great relations with other countries will also be beneficial for our domestic situation."

Yudhoyono pledged in his inauguration speech to fight for a "better world order" in forums like the Group of 20 and global talks on climate change.

He is also expected to play host next year to US President Barack Obama, who spent part of his childhood in Indonesia and has spoken of the country's importance as a comparatively liberal democracy in the Islamic world. (By Aubrey Belford/ AFP)