Wardana, a former ambassador to Singapore, and Ali Ghufron, dean of Gajah Mada University`s Medical School, were the first two persons to undergo a fit and proper test by the President at his private Cikeas residence.
After emerging from their respective interviews with the President, Wardana and Ali themselves told the press they had been picked for the deputy minister posts.
"I was invited by the president and he assigned me to serve as deputy health minister. It is indeed a mandate I am ready to fulfill to the best of my capabilities," Ali Ghufron said after undergoing the fit and proper test.
Ghufron said the president discussed a number of things relating to how to improve public health.
Besides calling Ghufron, the head of state also called former ambassador to Singapore, Wardana, to replace Triono Wibowo as deputy foreign affairs minister.
Meanwhile, presidential spokesman Julian Aldrin Pasha said that at 10 on Thursday morning President Yudhoyono started calling candidates for deputy ministers and prospective ministers to his private Cikeas home.
Julian said the candidates for deputy ministers might come from both professional and non-professional circles.
"Let us wait and see. As we know the number of the candidates for deputy ministers has been clear but maybe there will be some more from the position that is deemed important," Julian said.
He added that after President Yudhoyono called the candidates for deputy ministers, the head of state would also call other prospective ministers.
According to Julian, President Yudhoyono has issued a circular to all cabinet ministers asking them not to make strategic policies until he announced a cabinet reshuffle.
He said the circular was designed to maintain the continuity of government policies before and after the cabinet shakeup was announced.
(Uu.O001/HAJM)
Editor: Priyambodo RH
Copyright © ANTARA 2011
