http://www.gulf-times.com/site/topics/article.asp?cu_no=2&item_no=441513&version=1&template_id=43&parent_id=19
Cuba causes trouble in UN chief re-election
Publish Date: Friday,17 June, 2011, at 12:33 PM Doha Time
Reuters/United Nations
The UN Security Council has delayed its vote to recommend Ban Ki-moon for a
second term as UN chief after Cuba prevented the Latin American and Caribbean
group from endorsing him, envoys said. "Cuba's causing difficulties with GRULAC
(Group of Latin American and Caribbean Countries) but it's just procedural," a
Western diplomat told Reuters on condition of anonymity.
"Ban's going to win, though it's unclear whether GRULAC will endorse him as a
bloc," the diplomat added. Diplomats said the council vote on whether to
recommend that the former South Korean foreign minister get a second five-year
term as UN secretary-general starting in January 2012 has been postponed one
day and will take place today at 11am EDT (1500 GMT)
They said there would be a GRULAC meeting at the UN before today's council
meeting at which other members would attempt to persuade Cuba to join all other
regional groups in endorsing Ban's re-election bid. If GRULAC was unable to
back Ban, who is so far the only candidate for the post, it would have no
impact on the voting process. But it might be embarrassing for the UN chief,
who diplomats say would like to have the official support of all 192 member
states and all regional groups.
Officially, UN secretaries-general are elected by the General Assembly on the
recommendation of the Security Council. In reality, it is the five permanent
veto-wielding council members - Britain, China, France, Russia and the US -
that decide who gets the job.
All five permanent council members have said they support Ban's re-election.
The General Assembly is expected to formally approve Ban's second term on
Tuesday. Cuba, the sole country to have indicated that it might have problems
with the idea of re-electing Ban, cannot prevent him from getting a new term.
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
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