Jose Ramos Horta staying, but looking around
Paul Toohey; 28/6/08
East Timor doesn’t need any more confusion, but it got in doses yesterday. Jose Ramos Horta announced he would no longer chase a job as the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and would stay on as President - at the same time refusing to guarantee serving out his term. Mr Ramos Horta had said on Thursday that he was considering the UN position and needed the night to think about it. This was despite UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon denying yesterday that he had offered Mr Ramos Horta the Geneva-based post or decided on a preferred candidate. Mr Ramos Horta said an “idiot journalist” in New York had backed Mr Ban into a corner, and made him look like he was claiming the job was his.
See: http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,23933629-2703,00.html