"I caught signals about the possibility from recent statements of minister/state secretary Sudi Silalahi," the associate chairman of the country`s second biggest political party said at the parliament building here on Friday.
Priyo said Sudi Silalahi was not a mere minister/state secretary but he was very close to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and could read his body language.
From Sudi Silalahi`s statements, Priyo said, the indicators that a cabinet reshuffle would be done became clearer.
"Previously, they were vague and unclear but now the signals are clearer," he said.
Priyo who is also Deputy House Speaker said changing the cabinet membership is the prerogative of the President so whether or not it would really be done depends upon the President`s decision.
He however suggested that the President would do it now if he really wished to do it and would not prolong it.
"Now is the right momentum. If it is postponed again it would only hurt President Yudhoyono himself," he said.
Asked why now was the right time, Priyo said the timing now was right.
He said the government of President Yudhoyono had been two years old but some of the cabinet ministers according to the assessment of the President`s Working Unit for Development Control and Supervision (UKP4) still could not perform optimally.
"As now is still within the working year period the momentum would be right for a cabinet reshuffle," he said.
However if President Yudhoyono continued delaying it Priyo suggested that the President would rather not do it at all until the end of his term in 2014.
To underline his opinion Priyo said if the change was done while the time left was only two or even one year it would be more difficult to find the right figures for those to be replaced.
"Two or one year is very short so that this would be a bet for the President or the figure that would take the post left vacant," he said.
UKP4 chief Kuntoro Mangkusubroto said here on Friday President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono would seriously pay attention to the legal cases currently faced by his ministers.
He made the statement at the presidential palace compound when asked about the President`s stance towards manpower minister Muhaimin Iskandar and sports minister Andi Mallarangeng in connection with their allleged links to corruption cases in their offices.
Kuntoro said until now President Yudhoyono continued monitoring the development. He declined to tell in more detail regarding the President`s stance towards the case in a certain minister.
He said no indications had been seen that the performance of the ministers concerned had been affected. However he would continue monitoring their performance according to UKP4`s main duties and functions.
The President`s special aide for political communications, Daniel Sparingga, meanwhile said earlier that the President had summoned minister Muhaimin and minister Andi Mallarangeng in connection with alleged corruptions in their offices.
The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) is currently investigating alleged corruption in the Athlete Compound project in South Sumatra in which some quarters believed Andi was implicated.
Muhaimin meanwhile has been summoned in connection with a bribery case in his office`s infrastructure project.
(T.R024/H-YH/HAJM/F001)
Editor: Priyambodo RH
Copyright © ANTARA 2011
