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utgoing President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono may still have four months in office before his term expires in October, but some of his ministers are already distancing themselves from him.

Recent media reports said that ministers had been absent from Cabinet meetings as they joined the campaign trail for the July 9 presidential poll.

On Friday, it was further confirmed that Yudhoyono'€™s schedule was getting quieter.

When he landed at Halim Perdanakusuma International Airport from his three-day visit to Fiji, he was welcomed by some of his ministers and officials: National Police chief Gen. Sutarman, Indonesian Military (TNI) chief Gen. Moeldoko and Finance Minister Chatib Basri, along with Vice President Boediono.

He was also accompanied by those ministers who had joined his entourage to Fiji, including Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Djoko Suyanto, State Secretary Sudi Silalahi, Cabinet Secretary Dipo Alam, Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister Sharif Cicip Sutardjo and Youth and Sports Minister Roy Suryo.

However, it did not take long for Djoko and Sudi to head to their vehicles, leaving Yudhoyono behind.

It seemed they wanted to avoid a number of journalists who were waiting to ask him about a number of controversial issues, including the dismissal of presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto from the military and the alleged wiretapped telephone conversation between Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) chairperson Megawati Soekarnoputri and Attorney General Basrief Arief.

Yudhoyono, who was about to enter his presidential sedan, stood still, looking stunned, while he watched Djoko and Sudi dash toward their cars.

Dipo and Sharif were also seen making sharp exits.

Usually, ministers wait for Yudhoyono before entering their cars to leave, or even join the presidential motorcade.

A number of ministers and officials, including Marty, Sutarman, Moeldoko and Chatib, however, preferred to wait for Yudhoyono.

The President was in Fiji for a state visit '€” the first Indonesian presidential visit since the country gained its independence '€” as well as to attend the second summit of the Pacific Islands Development Forum (PIDF) where he gave what he deemed an important speech.

This month, and with his final term winding down, Yudhoyono has chastised Cabinet ministers and military generals on three occasions for getting involved in the presidential campaign and neglecting their duties. He has even slammed his ministries, saying based on his own '€œobservation and judgment'€ some of his ministers were no longer focused on doing their jobs.

The visit to Fiji also raised the question of why Yudhoyono did not use the new Boeing presidential plane worth US$91.2 million, instead preferring to rent a Garuda Indonesia Airbus A330-300. The government has argued that the procurement was less costly than renting one every time the President traveled abroad.

The Boeing Business Jet 2 (BBJ2) arrived in Jakarta in April amid years of controversy and delays since its procurement in 2009 '€” and has been used by Yudhoyono several times, including to Myanmar where he attended the 24th ASEAN Summit.

Previously in Fiji, Djoko reportedly said the decision to use the Garuda aircraft was due to technical matters, including the endurance of the plane and the complexity of the schedule and security should Yudhoyono make a transit along the way.