RI names envoy to East Timor
Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, Jakarta
President Megawati Soekarnoputri is set to install a senior State Intelligence Agency (BIN) official on Thursday as the first Indonesian ambassador to East Timor.
Deputy BIN chief for intelligence analysis Ahmed D. Sofwan is among five new envoys to be inaugurated by the President at the State Palace.
Ahmed is a civilian who has been with the intelligence agency for the last five years.
Foreign ministry spokesman Marty Natalegawa said on Wednesday that each appointment had been made in accordance with Indonesia's interests in the countries concerned.
"In East Timor we have a lot of residual issues such as refugees, assets and other matters following on from the separation, and we really need people with a strong legal understanding in the Indonesian representative office there," Marty told The Jakarta Post.
However, he said he was not in a position to comment on the motives behind the appointment of a senior intelligence official as the ambassador to the former Indonesian province, saying the decision had been made by the country's highest authorities.
"The most important is that the East Timor government feels comfortable with it and has signaled its agreement," Marty said.
East Timor broke away from Indonesia in 1999 following a self- determination vote administered by the United Nations.
East Timor Ambassador to Indonesia, the Rev. Arlindo Marcal, submitted his credentials to the President in February last year. However, it was only after one year that the House of Representatives agreed to reciprocate the move.
According to the amended 1945 Constitution, all ambassadorial appointments must be preceded by selection hearings in the House, a requirement that has drawn out the appointment process to at least six months.
Also on Thursday, Megawati will swear in outgoing Ministry of Foreign Affairs Director General for Asia, Pacific and Africa Makarim Wibisono as Indonesia's permanent representative to the United Nations in Geneva.
An official at the State Secretariat said that eight ambassadors were originally slated to be appointed on Thursday, including senior politician Jacob Tobing as Indonesia's envoy to South Korea.
Jacob is currently a legislator representing Megawati's Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P). But prior to 1998, he was a senior figure in the Golkar Party.
"We are still waiting for the presidential decree on the appointment of the other three ambassadors," the State Secretariat official told the Post.
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List of new envoys ---------------------------------------------------------------- Name Destination of mission ----------------------------------------------------------------- Makarim Wibisono Permanent Representative to UN Ahmed D. Sofwan East Timor Abdul Rachman Urip Cambodia Hertomo Reksodiputro Tunisia Nuni Turniati Joko Romania ----------------------------------------------------------------