PRESIDENT NEVER TALKED ABOUT RESHUFFLE : MINISTER

Jakarta, Jan 23 (ANTARA) - Communication and Information Minister Tifatul Sembiring said President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono had never talked about a cabinet reshuffle in his evaluation of the government's first 100-days program.

"So far I have never heard the president say he would make cabinet reshuffle at the evaluation day of the government's first 100-day program," Tifatul Sembiring said at at discussion on the evaluation of cabinet's first 100-day program here on Saturday.

He said that although the president had the prerogative to replace some of his cabinet ministers but the head of state never mentioned about it.

According to Tifatul, the issue of cabinet reshuffle emerged from outside the government and than became a rumor in the media.

The minister then pointed out the issue about a dialog between President Yudhoyono and Golkar Party chairman Aburizal Bakrie about the replacement of Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati.

"Such an issue is absolutely not true and therefore it should not be responded to," Tifatul said.

He added that inside the United Indonesia Cabinet phase two, the ministers remained cohesive without a tense situation among each other.

"On the side lines of cabinet meeting, the ministers had good and friendly communication among themselves and at times were joking," Tifatul said.