RI hires Bob Dole as lobbyist in U.S.

The government indicated on Friday that it had hired former U.S. Republican Senator Bob Dole as the country's official lobbyist to deal with the U.S. administration in Washington, the Jakarta Post reported on Saturday.

The Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs' director for North and Central America, Dino Patti Djalal, refused to confirm the appointment, but pointed out that Dole has been helping Indonesia to resolve "certain" issues for some time.

"Bob Dole is actively helping to promote and expand the network of Indonesian friends in Washington," Dino told The Jakarta Post when contacted by telephone from Bangkok.

Dino played down the appointment of Dole, saying that the Indonesian government had frequently used lobbyists in the past to further its interests in Washington.

Separately, an official at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs told the Post that the appointment of Bob Dole was related to a long drawn-out legal dispute between state-owned oil company Pertamina and a U.S.- Indonesian consortium that controls Karaha Bodas Company (KBC).

In 2000, an arbitration panel in Switzerland ordered Pertamina to pay KBC US$261 million in compensation, with $160 million being awarded to compensate the company's loss of potential profits. Pertamina refused to accept the arbitration panel's ruling.

Dino refused to go into details as to whether Dole was playing an active role in the Karaha Bodas case, saying he was not authorized to reveal the facts to the public. (*)