Annan faces No-Confidence. Senator Palpatine denies comment.

SirNitram · Post by **SirNitram** » 2004-11-19 01:29pm

UNITED NATIONS (AFP) - UN employees are expected to issue an unprecedented vote of no confidence in Secretary-General Kofi Annan (news - web sites), union sources say, after he pardoned the body's top oversight official over a series of allegations.

Photo
AFP Photo

The UN staff union, in what officials said was the first vote of its kind in the more than 50-year history of the United Nations (news - web sites), was set to approve a resolution withdrawing support for the embattled Annan and senior UN management.

Annan has been in the line of fire over a high-profile series of scandals including controversy about a UN aid programme that investigators say allowed deposed Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein (news - web sites) to embezzle billions of dollars.

Staffers said the trigger for the no-confidence measure was an announcement this week that Annan had pardoned the UN's top oversight official, who was facing allegations of favouritism and sexual harassment.

The union had requested a formal probe into the behaviour of the official, Dileep Nair, after employees accused him of harassing members of his staff and violating UN rules on the hiring and promotion of workers.

Top UN spokesman Fred Eckhard announced on Tuesday that Nair had been exonerated by Annan "after a thorough review" by the UN's senior official in charge of management, Catherine Bertini.

Annan underlined that he "had every confidence" in Nair, Eckhard said, but UN employees ridiculed the decision and claimed that investigators had not questioned the staff union, which first raised the complaints in April.

"This was a whitewash, pure and simple," Guy Candusso, a senior member of the staff union, told AFP.

Candusso noted that Eckhard's declaration to the press had said that "no further action was necessary in the matter."

But in a letter sent to the union, a copy of which was obtained by AFP, Annan's chief of staff Iqbal Riza said Nair had been "advised that he should exercise caution" in future to "minimise the risk of negative perception."

In a resolution set to be adopted on Friday, the union said Riza's statement "substantiates the contention of the staff that there was impropriety" and that there exists "a lack of integrity, particularly at the higher levels of the organisation."

The draft resolution, also obtained exclusively by AFP, calls on the union president to "convey this vote of no confidence to the secretary general."

Staffers who asked not to be named, afraid that speaking out could damage their future prospects in the United Nations, said the Nair decision was an example of corruption by Annan and his senior staff.

They noted that Riza, UN undersecretary general for information Shashi Tharoor and other top officials had served directly under Annan at least since 1994, when he was head of UN peacekeeping operations.

At the time, the United Nations was widely criticised for failing to stop the Rwanda genocide that left 800,000 people dead, even though UN peacekeepers were on the ground -- a catastrophe for which Annan has publicly apologised.

Annan could not be reached for immediate comment. He is currently in Africa on a high-profile mission aimed at ending the long-running civil war in Sudan.

The latest crisis comes as Annan faces unprecedented calls to resign over the burgeoning scandal about "oil-for-food," a UN aid scheme that US investigators say allowed Saddam to siphon off billions of dollars.

The programme has tainted longtime UN officials like Benon Sevan, who oversaw the operation and is now accused of pocketing Saddam's money in exchange for turning a blind eye to the Iraqi dictator's abuses.

Annan stands accused of obstructing US investigators, especially since his hand-picked official Paul Volcker this week rejected calls from the US Senate to turn over documents from the programme and waive UN staff immunity.

Eckhard, his spokesman, on Thursday said that Annan is expected to serve out his term, which ends in 2006.

Veteran UN staff said this was the first time in history that employees had risen up en masse to make a vote of no confidence in a sitting secretary general.

"Kofi Annan is surrounded by corruption, a gang of criminals responsible for some of the worst things that happened to mankind in the 20th century," said one angry staffer, referring to the Rwanda massacres.

"It's possible that he doesn't know directly what has gone on," said the employee, who has worked for the United Nations for two decades. "But that's no excuse."

frigidmagi · Post by **frigidmagi** » 2004-11-19 01:49pm

I must admit to being surprised. I have thought Koffi had an iron grip on things.

JME2 · Post by **JME2** » 2004-11-19 01:59pm

frigidmagi wrote:I must admit to being surprised. I have thought Koffi had an iron grip on things.

As did I.

Well, as Garak said in the DS9 finale, "We live in uncertain times." Should be interesting how this might play out in the long-term.

frigidmagi · Post by **frigidmagi** » 2004-11-19 02:00pm

We live in uncertain times."

Forgive me, but this is a huge understatment. Frankly I hope they toss him.

JME2 · Post by **JME2** » 2004-11-19 02:02pm

frigidmagi wrote:
We live in uncertain times."
Forgive me, but this is a huge understatment. Frankly I hope they toss him.

As do I.

Oh, and Nitram? Thanks for the Palpatine joke in the thead title; I needed a laugh this morning.

Falkenhayn · Post by **Falkenhayn** » 2004-11-19 05:29pm

So he's crooked as hell.

New Question. The person who gets his job is...

And the frontrunners for it are...

Joe · Post by **Joe** » 2004-11-19 05:45pm

Bill Clinton wants the job. I say give it to him.

Petrosjko · Post by **Petrosjko** » 2004-11-19 05:46pm

Falkenhayn wrote:So he's crooked as hell.

New Question. The person who gets his job is...

And the frontrunners for it are...

Under normal circumstances, the next continent on tap would be Asia, and I'd heard that Thailand's foreign minister was considered a front runner for the job, but this is highly abnormal circumstances, so who knows?

Atlan · Post by **Atlan** » 2004-11-19 06:58pm

Joe wrote:Bill Clinton wants the job. I say give it to him.

I think that it is a rule that no person from a country with a permanent seat on the security council can get that job. Which does make some sense...

Master of Ossus · Post by **Master of Ossus** » 2004-11-19 08:39pm

Fuck him. He was put in that position to make sure that the UN would actually do things, and he hasn't done shit. Under his watch, the UN has crumbled, and has lost the respect of the world for things like having Sudan placed on the Human Rights body. Time for a new beginning, with someone who'll be ready to shake things up.

Knife · Post by **Knife** » 2004-11-19 09:30pm

Master of Ossus wrote:Fuck him. He was put in that position to make sure that the UN would actually do things, and he hasn't done shit. Under his watch, the UN has crumbled, and has lost the respect of the world for things like having Sudan placed on the Human Rights body. Time for a new beginning, with someone who'll be ready to shake things up.

Or shut it down.

Durandal · Post by **Durandal** » 2004-11-19 09:47pm

Atlan wrote:
Joe wrote:Bill Clinton wants the job. I say give it to him.
I think that it is a rule that no person from a country with a permanent seat on the security council can get that job. Which does make some sense...

Clinton wouldn't be seriously considering the job if he was legally barred from taking it. According to the articles I've read, he's already gotten to work on lining up support from Germany, France and Britain. None of the articles I've seen on the subject mention any such rule. Clinton could serve as a very good counter-balance to Bush's negative image in the UN. I say he's a great fit for the job.

LordShaithis · Post by **LordShaithis** » 2004-11-20 03:22pm

Plus Clinton vs Bush in the UN would fucking sell on Pay Per View. lol

Post by **Dalton** » 2004-11-20 04:01pm

Is Clinton healthy enough?

Mange · Post by **Mange** » 2004-11-20 05:27pm

Kofi Annan has always appeared to be weak. The United Nations has proven itself to be as (or even worse as) ineffective as the League of Nations. The UN needs a major overhaul.

SirNitram, loved the thread title

!

CaptainChewbacca · Post by **CaptainChewbacca** » 2004-11-20 05:38pm

Why is Asia next? When the HELL are we gonna get a SecGen from North America, South America, or even Europe?

Also, how long does a SecGen serve?

Petrosjko · Post by **Petrosjko** » 2004-11-20 06:34pm

CaptainChewbacca wrote:Why is Asia next? When the HELL are we gonna get a SecGen from North America, South America, or even Europe?

Also, how long does a SecGen serve?

List of previous UN SecGens

Trygve Lie of Norway, served from 1946-52.

Dag Hammarskjöld of Sweden, served from 1953-61.

U Thant of Myanmar, served from 1961-71.

Kurt Waldheim of Austria, served from 1972-81.

Javier de Perez de Cuellar of Peru, served from 1982-91

Boutros Boutros-Ghali of Egypt, served from 1992-96.

They are recommended by the Security Council and selected by the General Assembly for four year terms.

As for why Asia is up, they tend to have a continental rotation, I'll do some digging to source that.

Petrosjko · Post by **Petrosjko** » 2004-11-20 06:44pm

Linkage

Best I could come up with on a short search. Since it's still in the trial balloon and speculation stage, hard news is short in the matter.

CaptainChewbacca · Post by **CaptainChewbacca** » 2004-11-20 07:19pm

If its on a "rotation", shouldn't north America or australia be up?

Petrosjko · Post by **Petrosjko** » 2004-11-20 07:40pm

CaptainChewbacca wrote:If its on a "rotation", shouldn't north America or australia be up?

Beats the hell out of me. Maybe nobody besides Bill Clinton is willing to stoop for the job.

Seggybop · Post by **Seggybop** » 2004-11-20 08:14pm

Is Bush able to veto the appointment of Clinton?

CaptainChewbacca · Post by **CaptainChewbacca** » 2004-11-20 08:37pm

Seggybop wrote:Is Bush able to veto the appointment of Clinton?

No, its a General Assembly vote, not a security council vote.

Sarevok · Post by **Sarevok** » 2004-11-21 01:52am

Petrosjko wrote:
Falkenhayn wrote:So he's crooked as hell.

New Question. The person who gets his job is...

And the frontrunners for it are...
Under normal circumstances, the next continent on tap would be Asia, and I'd heard that Thailand's foreign minister was considered a front runner for the job, but this is highly abnormal circumstances, so who knows?

Well Thanksin is already the richest man in Thailand and runs many buisnesses, plus he is the prime minister of his nation. I doubt he would have time for being a full time UN secretary general.

Petrosjko · Post by **Petrosjko** » 2004-11-21 03:20am

The Shadow wrote:Well Thanksin is already the richest man in Thailand and runs many buisnesses, plus he is the prime minister of his nation. I doubt he would have time for being a full time UN secretary general.

I know jack-all about Thailand, but the named mentioned is Surakiart Sathirathai, not Thanksin.

Datana · Post by **Datana** » 2004-11-21 04:13am

Petrosjko wrote:
The Shadow wrote:Well Thanksin is already the richest man in Thailand and runs many buisnesses, plus he is the prime minister of his nation. I doubt he would have time for being a full time UN secretary general.
I know jack-all about Thailand, but the named mentioned is Surakiart Sathirathai, not Thanksin.

Yeah. The Shadow is referring to Thaksin Shinawatra, the Thai Prime Minister, who isn't up for the position in discussion. Don't know too much about Sathirathai, unfortunately, as I haven't kept up with Thai news much lately.