Career diplomats less qualified: DPR
Career diplomats less qualified: DPR
Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Career ambassadorial candidates from the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs are less qualified compared to noncareer candidates,
legislators from House of Representatives Commission I for
defense and foreign affairs said on Thursday.
The lawmakers, however, assured that all 14 ambassadorial
candidates President Megawati Soekarnoputri had recently
nominated would be endorsed.
By law, Indonesia's ambassadors are appointed by the
president, who must take into account the opinion of the House.
In practice, however, the House screens the candidates and
recommends only candidates it considers eligible.
While the president can, in theory, ignore the House's
recommendations, tension often occurs between the presidential
office and the House over the appointment of ambassadors.
Deputy Commission I chairman Effendi Choirie of the National
Awakening Party (PKB) said most ambassadorial candidates from the
foreign ministry could not give clear answers to legislators'
questions during screening.
Former Commission I chairman Yasril Ananta Baharuddin of the
Golkar Party concurred with Choirie, saying that the performance
of candidates from outside the foreign ministry was better than
that of those from the ministry.
Ten of 14 ambassadorial candidates the President nominated are
career diplomats, while the remainder are either politicians or
former state officials.
Noncareer ambassadorial candidates are Golkar politician Iris
Indira Murti to be posted to Finland, former police chief
Rusdihardjo to Malaysia and PKB politician Abdul Wahid Maktub to
Qatar.
Choirie and Yasril, however, agreed that all candidates would
be endorsed by the House.
The commission is also likely to approve the appointment of
former National Intelligence Agency (BIN) official Ahmad Bey
Sofwan as Indonesia's ambassador to Dili, East Timor, even though
Indonesia does not yet have an embassy in Dili.
Choirie said the commission would endorse all 14 candidates
for the posts for which they had been proposed.
Yasril said most of the candidates were eligible for the
posts.
"However, two or three candidates from the foreign ministry
indicated poor performance during the clarification hearing with
the commission," Yasril said.
Asked whether the smooth approval of the House commission was
due to the appointment of Golkar's Iris Indira Murti and PKB's
Abdul Wahid Maktub, Choirie and Yasril rejected the suggestion.
"Our approval was based on our assessment of the candidates'
professionalism," Yasril said.
Choirie, however, questioned the abrupt decision of President
Megawati Soekarnoputri to appoint an ambassador to Dili when
Indonesia had yet to open an embassy there.
In a letter sent to the House in August, President Megawati
sought input from legislators on her plan to elevate diplomatic
ties with East Timor -- Indonesia's former 27th province.
The legislators did not immediately approve of the plan, but
later understood it after receiving an explanation from Minister
of Foreign Affairs Hassan Wirayuda.
RK Sembiring Meliala, a commission member from the Indonesian
Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan), said that fellow
legislators could understand the plan to open an embassy in Dili.
Indonesia currently has only an Interest Section office in
Dili, East Timor.