JAKARTA, INDONESIA (AFP) - Indonesian protesters burned photos of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on Tuesday over what they see as his complicity in a series of major corruption scandals.

Protesters called for his resignation over the controversial bailout of the failed Bank Century and an alleged conspiracy among senior police, prosecutors and politicians to cripple the popular anti-corruption agency.

Yudhoyono stunned anti-corruption activists late Monday when he delivered a rambling reply to advice from his own fact-finding team to punish senior law enforcers implicated in the suspected conspiracy.

In a nationally televised speech, Yudhoyono insisted he could not interfere in criminal cases no matter how little faith the public had in the police and the courts.

But because of the threat the scandal posed to ?social unity", he said the ?better option and solution... is for the police and prosecutors not to bring this case to court?.

Some members of the fact-finding team said this was a ?clear? message to the police to drop the criminal allegations against the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) deputies.

Anti-graft activists however said Yudhoyono had abrogated his duty and his election promises to fight corruption. His failure to take strong action was at best a sign of impotency or, at worst, collusion, they added.

?The president?s speech was just bullshit,? Indonesia Corruption Watch activist Illian Deta Arta Sari told AFP.

?All the promises about fighting corruption were just jargon to fish for votes to win the election. He has failed in carrying out his duties as president.?

Yudhoyono was re-elected with 60 percent of the vote in July on promises of clean government and economic growth.

Protesters took to Jakarta?s streets in small numbers immediately after his speech late Monday, and on Tuesday a demonstration in Makassar saw activists burn photos of Yudhoyono ? known as SBY ? and Vice President Boediono.

?President SBY and Vice President Boediono should step down from their positions because they?re no longer professional and there?s suspicion that they?re involved in the Bank Century case,? protester Ashari told reporters.

Other demonstrators gathered at the presidential palace and the Jakarta office of the KPK, and a page appeared on the popular social networking website Facebook calling for Yudhoyono?s resignation.

Another page for supporters of the KPK has gathered 1.34 million members since it appeared on October 29.

A police spokesman said no decision had been made to drop allegations of bribery and abuse of power against KPK deputy heads Bibit Samad Riyanto and Chandra Hamzah.

Explosive KPK wiretaps played in court earlier this month apparently caught senior police and prosecutors conspiring to frame the KPK deputies.

Yudhoyono was mentioned by some of the alleged conspirators as being party to the plot, an accusation he has angrily denied.

Responding to the tapes, he vowed to wipe out what he called the ?mafia? of police, judges, prosecutors and brokers who manipulate the country?s courts, but has offered no details on how he plans to do so.

Lawmakers have also demanded an investigation into the 710-million-dollar lifeline thrown to Bank Century late last year which rescued the accounts of some of Yudhoyono?s closest political supporters.

The main opposition People?s Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), led by former president Megawati Sukarnoputri, has warned of growing social unrest.

?There?s a worry that there will be an accumulation of public dissatisfaction, which will lead to rallies directed against the president,? PDI-P lawmaker Aria Bima said.