News on envoy candidates

It is regrettable that The Jakarta Post published a report covering personal opinions of several legislators pertaining to the closed-door hearing between the Commission I of the House of Representatives and some candidates for ambassadorial posts (Page 3, Feb. 27). The report even mentioned some candidate's names and countries of destination.

It is very important to bear in mind that the whole candidature process should be carried out in strict confidentiality. During the process, names of the candidates and receiving states as well as opinions about the candidates should not be disclosed to the public prior to the announcement of an "agreement" by the receiving state. Confidentiality of the process is required by the rules of customary international law which have been incorporated into Indonesian positive law, particularly by Law No.1/1982 (on the Ratification of the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations and its Optional Protocol) and Law No.37/1999 (on Foreign Relations).

Respecting the confidentiality of the selection process for ambassadorial posts is of our common concern, because it has a significant impact to the way we -- as a nation -- conduct our relations with other sovereign states.

UMAR HADI, Media Relations, Department of Foreign Affairs, Jakarta