Senior Australian diplomat considered for Jakarta

JAKARTA (JP): The Australian government is preparing John McCarthy, its ambassador to the United States, to serve as its ambassador to Indonesia later this year, Antara reported.

The news agency quoted The Australian as saying that McCarthy, a career diplomat, would soon be recalled to serve the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in Canberra until December, when the position in Jakarta becomes vacant.

Indonesia objected to Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer's first choice, senior diplomat Miles Kupa, because Kupa wrote a report critical of President Soeharto in the late 1980s. The confidential report, which was intended for then Australian foreign minister Garreth Evans, was leaked to the Australian press in 1992.

The withdrawal of Miles' nomination forced Canberra to extend the service of its current ambassador to Indonesia, Allan Taylor, until December. Taylor's term was scheduled to end in June.

The Australian said McCarthy's nomination was the first of a series of changes of envoys to be made by Prime Minister John Howard.

Andrew Peacock, former shadow foreign minister for the Liberal Party, is being considered for the Washington post, while John Spender, a former MP for the Liberal Party, will be given the Paris post.

McCarthy, who had served as an advisor to Peacock when he was shadow foreign minister, was so well-liked by the former Labor government of Paul Keating that he was trusted to head the Australian mission in Washington two years ago, Antara said. (emb)