O J's Corner : Reflections

Good we are in the fray
For UN post

India has told the world that it is a force to reckon with when it comes to UN  matters. We have already announced the candidature of Sasi Tharoor for the post of UN Secretary-General.

He has been working as Under Secretary-General (Communication and Public Information) of the world body.

The vacancy would arise on December 31, when Kofi Annan would demit office after a second five-year term.

The Security Council should give its recommendations to the General Assembly about the new incumbent.

Which means the five permanent members, the US, Russia, Britain, France and China, can exercise their veto power.

There is no covenant, but by tradition, the post is occupied by persons chosen from regions by rotation.

The UN has 191 member nations, of which a majority belong to African and Asian regions. They believe that now it is the turn of Asia to get the post.

The only previous Asian Secretary-General was Burma’s (now Myanmar) U Thant who served from 1961 to 1971 when Cold War was at its climax.

Kofi Annan of Ghana was chosen after Boutros Boutros-Ghali of Egypt exited on the plea that the African had completed only one term.

Indian media have, justifiably, been concentrating on the candidature of Sasi Tharoor. Pakistan is angling to field its own candidate or seeking ways to oppose the Indian choice.

As enlightened public we should know that there are other aspirants.

The Big five nations have so far been keeping out of the fray ostensibly because the UN was their pocket borough for all practical purposes as they have the veto power.

Now some of them are on the look-out for the possibility to corner the world body’s hot seat.

It was rumoured that former US President Bill Clinton had the inclination to try his hand. Former Chilean President Ricardo Lagos was also named in various reports earlier. Lately, Clinton and Lagos have bowed out of the race.

Clinton himself  has suggested Tony Blair, the controversy-marred Prime Minister of the UK. It is public knowledge that he will have to make way for his colleague Gordon Brown before his second term ends as British PM. People are looking for a way-out for Blair.

China appears to be backing the candidature of Thai Deputy Surakiart Sathirathai, who claims to have the support of the US, Russia and most of the Association of South-East Nations.

Former UN disarmament chief Jayanta Dhanapala of Sri Lanka is also a strong contender for the post.

South Korean Foreign Minister Ban Ki-moon, Finland President Tarja Halonen and Latvian President Vaira Vike-Freiberga have set their sights on for  grabbing the post.

There is another angle about the fair sex having been denied the post all these 60 years since the inception of the UN.

Gro Harlem Brundtland, former Prime Minister of Norway and former Director-General of WHO is touted to be a possible candidate in addition to New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark and New Zealand Governor-General Dame Sylvia Cartwright.

Of course, many of the aspirants would vanish when a consensus is reached among the big powers about the Asian claim. It is certain that Pakistan would play foul with Indian candidature. But we have raised our banner high. Let us hope it will flutter atop the UN.