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ust moments ahead of the announcement of a new Cabinet lineup on Wednesday night, the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) was apparently still trapped in a great dilemma as to whether to join the government or retain its stance as an opposition party.

The confusion could be seen implicitly through PDI-P secretary-general Pramono Anung's statement was made after a weekly meeting at the party's Central Board building in Jakarta on Wednesday evening.

"We will act as a counterbalance for the government, meaning we will give credit whenever the government does its homework satisfactorily, but criticize it if it deliberates bad policies. We will not let ourselves be trapped by the terms *coalition' or *opposition'," Pramono told journalists.

However, he could not hide the fact that his party had been involved in an intensive political communication with Yudhoyono. "Of course, we communicate through Taufik Kiemas and Puan Maharani, while *Yudhoyono* speaks through some of his men," he said.

Taufik, the PDI-P's chief patron, is the speaker of the People's Consultative Assembly, while Puan is a legislator and is also his daughter.

When asked whether the PDI-P had been offered ministerial posts in the new administration, Pramono said that up until Wednesday evening no political offers had been received from Yudhoyono.

But Pramono highlighted that there would be a decision made on this matter issued by the party without PDI-P chairwoman Megawati Soekarnoputri, who had failed to attend the Wednesday weekly meeting because of health issues.

Sabam Sirait, one of the PDI-P's founding members, shared Pramono's remarks, saying the party had received no political offers from SBY.

"I should have been informed first if there were any," he said.

It could be a great problem for the PDI-P if it finally decides to join the new administration, since the party has widely been recognized as the government's sparring partner - at least over the past five years. Megawati herself, for instance, had announced repeatedly that the PDI-P would stick to its decision to be the government's sparring partner if it failed to win the legislative and presidential elections.

The recent election of Taufik Kiemas as the People's Consultative Assembly speaker could only mean there had been an internal dispute within the party.

Commenting on this, Sabam Sirait said that differences of opinion were common in every party, including the PDI-P. But he refused to state that an internal dispute between Megawati (who has stuck to her decision to stay outside the government) and Taufik Kiemas (who is also her husband) was taking place.

Political analyst Sukardi Rinakit had recently told media it would be better for the PDI-P to stick to its initial plan - to be the government's sparring partner.