Envoys lineup may be reshuffled

JAKARTA: Legislators will likely recommend that President Megawati Soekarnoputri review the lineup of ambassadorial candidates and their respective country of destination she had submitted to the House of Representatives (DPR) for approval.

In the third day of the selection hearings on Thursday, some legislators said the reshuffling would help each country get more suitable envoys.

Five candidates grilled by the House's foreign affairs commission were A. Nawawi Hasbi, Mochamad S. Hidayat, Faisal Bafadal, Sudarso, and Susanto Pudjomartono.

"There is the possibility of shifting the ambassadorial candidates. The more problematic places should be handled by tougher ambassadors," legislator Imam Addaruqutni of the Reform faction said.

Fellow legislator Permadi of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) faction added the shift might be taken to improve relations with foreign countries. - JP