The Ulster Unionists will today announce the surprise choice of Michael McGimpsey alongside Sir Reg Empey as its ministerial nominees.
Mr McGimpsey, the party's only South Belfast Assembly member, will take charge at the Department of Health, while the party leader, who was widely tipped to take the health portfolio, will become minister at the Department of Employment and Learning.
The unexpected development means there is no ministerial position for North Down Assembly member and chief negotiator, Alan McFarland, nor any indication of a new role at party headquarters.
The decision caught members of the party, some of them Assembly members, by surprise.
Sir Reg was being urged by colleagues not to opt for the health job because of the demands involved. They wanted him instead to concentrate on reinvigorating the party after a series of election reverses in 2003, 2005 and in last month's Assembly election.
The party now has just one MP and no UUP candidate was elected on the first count in any of the North's 18 Assembly constituencies.
One party source said last night that the health portfolio may be rotated after two years, with deputy leader, Danny Kennedy, the most likely recipient. He is now expected to chair the committee of the centre, which oversees the Office of First Minister and Deputy First Minister.
Mr Kennedy declined to comment when contacted by The Irish Timesand said he would wait for today's formal announcement.
Many in the party, including the leader, regard Michael McGimpsey as a known quantity. He was a minister in the last functioning executive at Stormont, having been in charge at the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure.
The choice of Mr McGimpsey, however, appears to be bad news for Mr McFarland, party sources suggested last night. He was a member of the health committee in the previous assembly and helped to provide scrutiny of health policy when Sinn Féin's Bairbre de Brún was minister.
It is further understood he was an adviser on health issues to former South Belfast MP, the Rev Martin Smyth.
One reliable source suggested last night that Mr McFarland may have been overlooked for a ministerial position because he sought too many conditions and because of his belief that the party leader should not take on any department, let alone health.
This would allow Sir Reg to concentrate instead on reorganising the party.
Mr McFarland came a close second to Sir Reg in the leadership ballot following the resignation of former leader David, now Lord, Trimble after the 2005 Westminster election. He lost by 321 to 287 votes.
His candidacy was keenly supported by Lady Sylvia Hermon, the party's sole MP.
Lagan Valley Assembly member, Basil McCrea, expressed surprise last night at the exclusion of Mr McFarland.
"Alan got within 40 votes of the party leadership and you would have expected he would have some form of central role," he said.
"I knew it wasn't going to be Reg [at health]. Reg wanted health because it would look better taking the big job. There's clearly been a bit of a move around on that."