THE PRESIDENT, Mrs Robin son, will meet the United Nations Secretary General next month to discuss whether she will cut short her presidency following her nomination for the post of UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.
Mrs Robinson's nomination for the post was announced in New York yesterday by the Secretary General, Mr Kofi Annan. Mrs Robinson, according to Mr Annan, is "an extraordinary leader who. .. will bring dynamism, credibility and leadership" to the post.
Mr Annan has nominated Mrs Robinson to the post for a four year term, with a possibility of renewal for a further four years. The actual appointment will be made by a vote of the UN General Assembly but that is seen as a formality.
There are indications that Mr Annan may wish to have the approval of the General Assembly before he presents the appointment with his UN reform package on July 16th.
This is Mr Annan's first senior appointment since taking over as Secretary General this year. He told a press conference: "I think it is one of the most important appointments that I will probably have the opportunity of making."
Mr Annan said yesterday he would like Mrs Robinson to take up her Geneva based position in September. Mrs Robinson has said in the past, however, that she would like to see out her term of office as President, which ends on December 2nd. Mr Annan said yesterday he and Mrs Robinson would discuss her starting date next month.
Mrs Robinson is understood not to have decided whether to resign early to take up the post. In the coming days, according to a source close to her, she will discuss her situation with her immediate family, her friends and advisers before having further talks next month with Mr Annan.
Mrs Robinson had not expected the Secretary General to make his decision known until next month and was surprised when he telephoned her on Wednesday.
During the call, in which Mr Annan formally offered her the position, he made clear his preference that she start in September. The President said they would have to talk about that when they met during a trip she is making to the US next month.
Should Mrs Robinson resign early, a presidential election must be held within 60 days. That could mean a presidential election in November around the same time one would take place anyway should she stay until December.
The UN post is made at the level of undersecretary general, the rank below the Secretary General. An undersecretary general is paid some £94,000, less than the £100,000 Mrs Robinson is paid as President.
Mr Annan informed Mrs Robinson's main rival, Ms Sonia Picado Sotela, the Costa Rican ambassador to Washington, on May 30th that she would not get the post.
Mrs Robinson said she was very honoured to be nominated by the Secretary General and deeply appreciated his trust and confidence.