Limit on secretary-general term 'must be transparent'<\/p>\n
By Santi WE Soekanto & Meidyatama Suryodiningrat<\/p>\n
PETALING JAYA (JP): Outgoing ASEAN Secretary General Dato
\nAjit Singh said it should be made transparent if member states
\nwant a secretary general to serve only one term.<\/p>\n
\"Let it be known clearly before the secretary general comes
\nin that he's only there for one term so at least he knows from
\nthe beginning that is his fixed term and then he can prepare
\nhimself,\" Ajit Singh said here yesterday.<\/p>\n
Speaking a day after ASEAN ministers announced that he would
\nbe replaced by Philippine undersecretary for foreign affairs
\nRodolfo Severino, Ajit said he was in favor if ministers wanted
\nto make such limitations, but such conditions should be made
\nclear beforehand.<\/p>\n
\"If there's agreement among the member countries that the
\nsecretary general's term is one term, then it makes it easier for
\neverybody and we would not have to go through the sort of
\nsituation that I was faced with,\" Ajit Singh told The Jakarta
\nPost.<\/p>\n
ASEAN leaders in 1992 elevated the usually administrative
\npost of the secretary general to ministerial status. The
\nselection of the candidate was also changed from a rotational
\nbasis to one based on merit with no limitations on the number of
\nterms served.<\/p>\n
Based on these changes, Ajit Singh was renominated for the
\nfive-year post which ends in December. If elected he would have
\nbeen the first secretary general to serve two terms.<\/p>\n
In customary conciliatory fashion, ASEAN ministers avoided an
\nopen vote in selecting the candidate. Instead, Indonesian foreign
\nminister Ali Alatas was assigned to privately seek the views of
\nmember states and tally who had more support.<\/p>\n
ASEAN currently groups Brunei, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia,
\nMyanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.<\/p>\n
According to an Indonesian official, ministers apparently did
\ndesire someone to serve two-terms as secretary general.<\/p>\n
When asked whether he thought the decision had now set a
\nprecedent, Ajit Singh said: \"This now will have to be left to the
\nministers to decide whether they will amend the protocol.\"<\/p>\n
Speaking to journalists earlier, Ajit Singh reminisced fondly
\non the past five years.<\/p>\n
\"I have enjoyed working as secretary general of ASEAN... I
\nhave had a good run,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Asked whether he would still be involved in ASEAN activities
\nwhen Severino takes over his seat on Jan. 1, 1997, Ajit Singh
\nsaid: \"I can't really get ASEAN out of my life... I will always
\nbe available to assist in anyway I can.<\/p>\n
\"In the 33 years that I've been involved with diplomacy,
\neight years have been with ASEAN. And therefore this has been a
\nvery intense involvement in ASEAN,\" he said.<\/p>\n
In a tone of relief rather than disappointment at knowing the
\noutcome of the election, he said he had \"no remorse or sorrow
\nover the decision taken\".<\/p>\n
In typical ASEAN camaraderie, Ajit Singh hailed Severino's
\nelection. \"I think it's a good idea that the stewardship is run
\nby someone else.\"<\/p>",
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