According to Secretary of the Democrat Party`s Board of Trustees Andi Mallarangeng, whether the PKS cabinet members would be replaced was entirely up to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.
"What is clear is that if (PKS) cannot cooperate, there will be considerations for reshuffling to enable the administration to run effectively," he said.
Speaking to newsmen on the sidelines of the closing session of the Indonesian Islamic Propagation Institute (LDII) congress here, he said the reform within the coalescing parties was also up to President Yudhoyono, Democrat Party`s chief patron.
Andi Mallarangeng said the communication among leaders of political parties which backed the government coalition continued. Therefore, the PKS leader still had a chance to be invited by President Yudhoyono in the next few days.
"If PKS has yet (to get an invitation), it remains possible within the next days though it depends on the president," he said.
In response to the discourse on the cabinet reshuffle, Tifatul Sembiring, a senior PKS politician and cabinet member, had hinted that his party would remain in the government coalition.
"PKS will remain in the coalition," the communication and information technology minister told newsmen in Jakarta on Tuesday.
Sembiring said the composition of the coalition would remain unchanged and PKS had yet to withdraw from the government coalition.
The top leaders of the Democratic Party and PKS had met, he said but he refused to elaborate on the substance of the meeting.
"Well, let`s talk about it later. The president has yet to announce anything. So, we do not want to speak before he does," he said.
Sembiring said he backed the head of state`s intention to maintain his communication with leaders of the coalition members.
In another development, Golkar Party leader Aburizal Bakrie had met President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on Tuesday.
Following the meeting, Golkar would remain part of the government coalition.
The discourse on a cabinet reshuffle has become a hot public issue over the past few weeks.
In this connection, the positions of ministers from the Golkar Party and Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) are reportedly threatened after the two parties supported the tax mafia inquiry motion at the House of Representatives (DPR).
PKS is given four ministerial posts: minister for social welfare, minister for research and technology, minister for communication and information technology, and agricultural minister. (*)
Editor: Kunto Wibisono
Copyright © ANTARA 2011
