Sir, – I do wish the redoubtable former president Mary Robinson would desist from reiterating that, back in 1997, she was “bullied” into leaving the presidency a few months early by then-UN secretary general Kofi Annan, in order to take up the role of UN high commissioner for human rights (“‘The Princess Latifa episode wasn’t my finest moment, to say the least ... it was a big mistake’”, Magazine, August 17th).
It’s difficult in the extreme to imagine someone as formidable as Mrs Robinson succumbing to coercion from any quarter. I think the more euphemistic “I was prevailed upon to accept the position of high commissioner” would be a more apposite phrase for Mrs Robinson to adopt when explaining why she felt obliged to accede to Mr Annan’s request. – Yours, etc,
PAUL DELANEY,
Dalkey,
Co Dublin.