Belka appoints his boys in embassies while there's still time

The Foreign Minister, Adam Rotfeld, assures that it will not be a political operation of placing people connected with the present government in embassies and consulates. He claims that last significant changes of ambassadors took place in 2001 and the average term for an ambassador is 4 years. However, anonymous diplomats quoted by Rzeczpospolita reveal that the majority of new ambassadors will be people closely linked to the ruling cabinet. For example, the former president of the Polish Olympic Committee Stefan Paszczyk, considered to be a trusted man of President Aleksander Kwaśniewski, will become an ambassador in Buenos Aires. Moreover, almost all current Deputy Foreign Ministers will be appointed to diplomatic posts abroad. Radek Sikorski, one of the candidates for Foreign Minister in the potential Law and Justice and the Civil Platform government considers appointing ambassadors right before the end of the government's term in office a risky practice. However, Minister Rotfeld maintains that the current government is doing exactly the same as the cabinet of Jerzy Buzek fours years ago. (Rzeczpospolita, pp. A1, A3) E.B.