Energy Minister Unfazed By Cabinet Reshuffle Plan

Jakarta (Antara Bali) - Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Darwin Saleh said he was not disturbed by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's plan to reshuffle the cabinet soon because he considered his  ministerial post as an opportunity to serve the country.

"An impending reshuffle should not reduce one's dedication to one's tasks and duties," he said on the sidelines of a function to observe  Energy and Mining Day here on Wednesday.

He said replacing or appointing ministers was the President's prerogative  so "it is all up to the President to decide".

Darwin said there were still some things  he still had to  accomplish as energy minister among others achieving the crude production target which was also the responsibility of BPH Migas (oil and gas upstream executive agency) and PT Pertamina (state-owned oil/gas company) and building  a  liquefied natural gas terminal.

Others include finishing the 10,000 MW power plant projects, reducing the portion of oil in the energy mixture from 19 percent to 8.11 percent and controlling subsidized fuel oils.

"These are some of the future challenges in the energy sector," he said.

President Yudhoyono last week gave a strong signal that he would replace some ministers before the second anniversary of his second-term government on October 20, 2011.

Darwin has been rumored to be one of the ministers to be replaced. Others include the minister of state enterprises, the finance minister and the minister of transportation.

The President's special aide, Heru Lelono, said here on Wednesday  the reshuffle was designed to improve the government's performance over the next three years.

He admitted  that some political considerations also underlay the president's cabinet reshuffling plan.

"In Indonesia whoever is the president will not be able to separate himself from politics. But that is one of the reasons for the coming reshuffle," he said.

He admitted the President had already talked with some political party leaders  about the plan.

"That is a political fact. But the target is improving the government's performance until 2014 because the President also wishes to leave a good legacy to his  successor," he said.

Heru said as a consequence of  the cabinet reshuffle changes were also likely to happen in the top managements of  state enterprises and state commissions.

"Improvements will also be made in state enterprises and commissions linked to development efforts," he said.

Heru could not say  with certainty when  the reshuffle would be made known to the public.

"The president is busy. He will be out of town on October 11 and and also on October 20. So it could happen  between those dates," he said.(*)