Wahyudi Soeriaatmadja – Talk of a Cabinet reshuffle to replace underperforming Indonesian ministers is heating up, as the government fends off criticisms that it is faltering in its fight against graft and rising religious intolerance.

A senior official of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's Democratic Party told local media Wednesday that the president has already made a decision about the new line-up.

Ahmad Mubarok, a vocal member of the Democratic Party's advisory board, did not give the Koran Tempo daily more details, but said: "He has already decided. Now he just needs to hit the gavel."

Two Democratic Party officials approached by The Straits Times declined to confirm if a reshuffle would take place.

Democratic Party spokesman Solon Sihombing, said that Cabinet ministers must show skills and have ample capacity related to their work portfolio. Cabinet Secretary Sudi Silalahi, a close aide to Yudhoyono, said last month it was "not impossible" that the ministers who had performed poorly would be "replaced."

At least two evaluations of ministerial performance have been undertaken by a work unit tasked to speed up reforms and remove bottlenecks. The unit gave four to five ministers red marks, which meant they had failed to hit their targets.

Popular speculation has zoomed in on ministers who got their jobs because of their political party links.

Yudhoyono's Democratic Party has the most number of seats in the 560-member House. Its coalition with the Golkar Party, Prosperous Justice Party and other smaller parties to control 76 per cent of the seats.

A Cabinet reshuffle could help the government snatch back the initiative in its fight against spreading views that it is losing the battle against graft and extremist Muslim groups.

Among the possible names mentioned by the local media was Religious Affairs Minister Suryadharma Ali, from the United Development Party. He could be replaced by a leader from the National Awakening Party.

Another is Mustafa Abubakar, Minister of State-Owned Enterprises from Golkar. He might be replaced by Investment Coordinating Board chairman Gita Wirjawan.

An unpopular minister who has made several gaffes concerning religion is Minister of Communications and Information Tifatul Sembiring. He might be replaced by state electricity company chief Dahlan Iskan.

An added twist to the reshuffle talk is speculation that Yudhoyono might bring the opposition Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle into the ruling coalition, and kick out Golkar.

And there are other permutations.

Dodi Ambardi, an analyst from the Indonesian Survey Institute, said Yudhoyono could bring in non-partisan professionals to raise the standard of policymaking, but he would then have to deal with a lack of support in Parliament. "It is this dilemma that has kept a reshuffle from happening for so long," he said.