JAKARTA, Oct 5 (AFP) - Indonesian President Megawati Sukarnoputri Tuesday urged her nation to accept results of the country's first full presidential vote but stopped short of conceding defeat to her former top security minister.
"All sides should be able to receive (this) well, uphold the values of democracy and mutually respect each other," Megawati said a day after a final vote count officially handed victory to ex-general Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.
"We have to be able to show the world that our nation is a big nation and one of noble ethics," she said during a speech to mark Indonesia's armed forces day.
Neither candidate in the September 20 polls has formally admitted defeat or accepted victory, although Yudhoyono has already begun preparations to build a cabinet for when he takes office later this month.
The former general has said he would wait until Megawati conceded before addressing the nation.
In her speech, Megawati hailed as a "major achievement for our nation" the three elections held in Indonesia this year, including two presidential voting rounds and April legislative polls.
"We all, of course, hope that this big achievement can be sustained without being sullied by even a single stain, and it has become a new task and duty for us all to safeguard this."
Indonesia's emergence as the world's third largest democracy comes just six years after former president Suharto was forced to stand down, ending three decades of authoritarian rule.
"We can be proud that we have sucessfully laid the foundation for a more democratic and stable nation and state that will be more capable of overcoming the challenge of this century," she said, clearly holding back tears.
Yudhoyono was also present at the armed forces day ceremony at Jakarta's Halim Perdanakusuma airbase, but was sitting far removed from Megawati.
Yudhoyono won 60.62 percent of the votes against Megawati's 39.38 percent.