PKS Optimistic Tifatul to Remain in Cabinet

Makassar (ANTARA News) - The Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) is optimistic that its cadre, Information and Communication Minister Tifatul Sembiring, will remain in the cabinet.

PKS secretary general Anis Matta said before opening the party's 2nd Regional Conference here on Saturday that current rumors about an impending cabinet reshuffle were mere provocation by certain quarters.

"President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono until now has never talked about it with PKS. So we think it is a mere provocation for the president," he said.

He said however if a reshuffle really happened, PKS would respect the decision because it was the president's prerogative.

PKS only hopes that the evaluation of ministers to be replaced was done in a mature way that would satisfy all sides.

Anis said whatever the political issue is to be made the PKS's spirit to become one of the three biggest parties would never wane.

Presidential spokesman Julian Aldrin Pasha meanwhile confirmed here on Saturday that President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono would soon conduct an evaluation on his ministers' performance.

He said the evaluation would be based upon the reports from the Persidential Working Unit for Development Monitoring and Control (UKP4) as well as from other sources of information.

Aldrin however stopped short of commenting on speculations that the evaluation was part of the President's wish to replace a number of ministers who had lackluster performance.

The present United Indonesia Cabinet II would end the first of its five-year term on October 20.
(H-YH/HAJM/)