"We will take steps to safeguard the long-term interests of the party."
Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Golkar Party chairman Aburizal Bakrie said he would take steps to ensure the party`s long-term interests in light of the present discourse about a cabinet reshuffle.

"We will take steps to safeguard the long-term interests of the party," said Aburizal who is popularly called Ical at the Golkar central executive board office here on Sunday night.

Asked what he meant by long term interest, Aburizal just smiled without giving a definite answer nor commenting further on the fate of Golkar in the coalition.

Meanwhile, Democrat Party Advisory Council member Ahmad Mubarok said a meeting between President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and the leaders of the Golkar and Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) was just a matter of time.

He said President Yudhoyono who was concurrently the chairman of the government coalition had invited the Golkar and PKS leaders to separate meetings with him.

"It is just a matter of time for the two party leaders to meet alternately with the president," Ahmad Mubarok said.

Earlier, it was rumored that Yudhoyono had met with Golkar chief Aburizal Bakrie and PKS Shura Council chairman Hilmi Aminuddin at Cipanas Palace in West Java but the hearsay was later denied.

Mubarok said that before the meeting with Golkar and PKS, President Yudhoyono would meet with coalition member parties which rejected the inquiry right, namely the National Awakening Party (PKB), United Development Party (PPP), and National Mandate Party (PAN).

Meanwhile, Democrat Party politician Ulil Abshar Abdalla said the decision about the coalition restructuring and cabinet reshuffle highly depended on the attitude of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP).

"Democrat Party is still giving two-week time allotment to PDIP to make up its mind to join the coalition and the government," Ulil said in a dialog aired by a private TV station here on Monday.

Other speakers in the dialog were PDIP politician Ganjar Pranowo and Golkar Party central executive board official Indra J Pilliang.

Ulil said political communication between Democrat Party and PDIP

has been running well but it was only a matter of "fine tuning."

He added that if the "fine tuning" from PDIP was fast, then the process of coalition restructuring and the cabinet reshuffle would as well run fast.

"But if PDIP does not respond to an offer from the Democrat Party, the Golkar Party will be maintained in the coalition," Ulil said.
(Uu.O001/HAJM/F001)

Editor: Priyambodo RH
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