Retno Marsudi becomes Indonesia's first female foreign minister
Indonesian president promotes ambassador Retno Marsudi as he unveils his cabinet
New Indonesian President Joko Widodo yesterday unveiled a cabinet including the country's first female foreign minister, as well as political allies and technocrats in key economic posts.
Reaction was broadly positive to the appointment of Retno Marsudi, Indonesia's ambassador to the Netherlands, as foreign minister. Widodo said she "works hard and is firm and visionary".
She was one of eight women in the cabinet in the world's most populous Muslim-majority nation, more than in the previous government.
However, analysts expressed disappointment that so many politicians had been chosen instead of professionals, saying it could weaken Widodo's attempts to push through much-needed reforms.
Widodo, the country's first leader from outside the political and military elite, had pledged to pick experts in various fields.
But he came under strong pressure from parties that backed him at the July elections, and in the end agreed to give almost half of the 34 cabinet posts to political allies.