Envoy candidates

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs strongly protests the publication of a report titled Golkar, PKB offered ambassadorial posts by The Jakarta Post on Thursday, Sept. 11, page 2.

It is particularly very disappointing that a well-respected newspaper such as the Post has once again disregarded the principal of confidentiality in the whole process of ambassadorial candidature. This is a principle which is applicable not only in Indonesia, but is in fact a well established practice under international customary law.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in a letter dated Feb. 28, had reminded the Post about its responsibility to respect and maintain the confidentiality of the process.

This subject should not be taken lightly. The ministry is prepared to take the necessary legal action, as provided for by law, should this type of irresponsible reporting be published again.

UMAR HADI

Media Relations

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Note:

The bargaining process between the government of a particular country and political parties in appointing party officials as head of diplomatic missions abroad is a well established practice in a number of democratic countries. In the United States, for instance, either party that achieves electoral victory tends to allocate ambassadorial postings to persons who are considered as instrumental in the party's political victory.

In today's Indonesia, political considerations of a different nature apparently are being applied to allocate ambassadorial postings to some parties.

We fail to understand why such well established political practices are subject to "international customary law".

However, we do appreciate the compliment referring to the Post as "a well respected newspaper". -- Ed.