Democratic Party doesn't mind if Golkar becomes opposition

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's Democratic Party Secretary General Amir Syamsudin says that his party does not mind if the Golkar Party decides to become part of the opposition.

"A strong opposition is good for the governance," he told reporters by phone in Jakarta on Thursday.

Amir was responding to a statement by Golkar Secretary General Idrus Marham, who said that his party would remain consistent in critically probing the Bank Century bailout case regardless of threats of possible reshuffle of Golkar-affiliated ministers in Yudhoyono's second cabinet.

The possibility of reshuffle in the cabinet was initially raised by Amir.

"We see that our coalition partners are lacking in empathy towards the President as the symbol of the nation in probing the case," he said.

Other than Golkar, the government coalition consists of the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), the National Mandate Party (PAN), the United Development Party (PPP) and the National Awakening Party (PKB).