Abandon Un Race, Bangkok Advised

[cdnvic]

REPLACING KOFI ANNAN: Abandon UN race, Bangkok advised

Published on December 22, 2005

Embassy in US urged govt to end bid in Sept, citing ‘unresponsive’ Washington. Thailand should withdraw Deputy Prime Minister Surakiart Sathirathai’s candidacy for the post of UN secretary-general, the Thai Embassy in Washington recently advised the Foreign Ministry.

The embassy suggested the longer Thailand waited to exit the campaign, the greater the political damage it faced.

In a telex obtained by The Nation yesterday, the Foreign Ministry was advised that Surakiart’s bid to replace outgoing UN Secretary General Kofi Annan was in doubt, because the US did not support it.

The telex said the current and previous US secretaries of state appeared “unresponsive” to Thailand’s fielding of Surakiart and that it was “not too late” to withdraw his candidacy.

The telex said it would not be “embarrassing” to withdraw Surakiart’s candidacy at this time, but suggested a tactical withdrawal sooner rather than later.

The telex, dated September 30, 2005, and signed by then Thai ambassador to Washington Kasit Piromya, said US President George W Bush had implied Surakiart was not “a brand name” and “unmarketable” in the areas of human rights, democracy and leadership.

Support by the US is important for any candidate, since Washington, as one of the five permanent members of the Security Council, has the right to veto.

Surakiart claims to have the support of China and Russia, two of the five permanent members.

The telex said neither Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice or her predecessor Colin Powell had ever paid much attention to Surakiart’s candidacy.

In fact, they had been “unresponsive” and “unexcited” about Thailand’s bid to have its deputy prime minister replace Annan, the telex said.

The government was urged to assess Surakiart’s candidacy honestly, without bias or personal ambition, because the country had more important things to do with its money than spend it on Surakiart’s campaign.

It appears the Thai Embassy in Washington based its assessment on a series of dialogues between Thaksin and US President George W Bush, and Surakiart and US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, as well as lower-level discussions between Thai officials and their American counterparts.

The telex also pointed out that Rumsfeld did not appear satisfied with Surakiart’s answer when asked what kind of platform the Thai candidate was running on. Instead of explaining what he had in mind for UN reforms, Surakiart spoke of the importance of the US role in the world body, the telex said.

Former ambassador Kasit made headlines earlier this year when he turned down a proposal to hire a lobbying firm with ties to US Vice President Dick Cheney, reportedly at a price of Bt1.5 million a month, to help win US support for Surakiart.

Kasit, who recently retired from the foreign service, reportedly suggested Thailand use Clark Consultants to campaign for Surakiart, a firm then working on the Thai-US Free Trade Agreement.

A senior official at the Foreign Ministry said it remained government policy to mobilise all national resources necessary to help Surakiart snare the UN’s top job.

The Nation

[sierra01]

Is this really unexpected? Surakiart's credentials fall well short for that position.

[cdnvic]

I agree, but since when are credentials the deciding factor in that job?

cv

[sierra01]

If it's a case of who you know, rather than what you know, then Surakiart doesn't know the right people!

[PeaceBlondie]

It's now almost 3 months since the Thai ambassador to the USA sent that message. Has the Thai govt. been silent on the man's efforts to become a UN official since then, or has the Thai govt. continued to waste Thai money and Thai time for a lost cause?

[charles]

I know Kofi Annan's had his problems but they are surely joking if they think this bloke could be Secretary General of the UN.

Talk about suffering from delusions of grandeur. Thaksin and friends need to realize that big fishes in small ponds are best advised not to go for a dip in the ocean.

[bkkharry]

I know Kofi Annan's had his problems but they are surely joking if they think this bloke could be Secretary General of the UN. 

Talk about suffering from delusions of grandeur.  Thaksin and friends need to realize that big fishes in small ponds are best advised not to go for a dip in the ocean.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Couldn't have said it any better. These guys just don't get it.

[Prakanong2005]

Anyone remember the farce with the thai Candidate as head of the WTO a few years back.

It lead to the sharing of the position with the3 Kiwi guy who was a much better candidate for the job.

Thailand did not get the US support then and felt affronted and would not withdraw as it would have cost a "Loss of face"

The posters above who said the Thai's just do not get it in the big pond of world wide organisations are so correct - they are not even big regionally never mind on the worl scen

Delusions of grandeur - people get locked up for less and can be found in Psychy Wards thinking they are Napoleon or Jesus

[tettyan]

Anyone remember the farce with the thai Candidate as head of the WTO a few years back.

It lead to the sharing of the position with the3 Kiwi guy who was a much better candidate for the job.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I'm sorry, the comparison with Supachai (former WTO D-G) doesn't work. He even had his former professor - a Nobel laureate, lobbying for him. The reason why the US didn't support him was simply because a mid-level official at USTR didn't like him for her own personal reasons.

Indeed Supachai has a much more impressive resume than Surakiart, including authoring several books (in English), the most recent of which is about China and the WTO. After all, Kofi Annan didn't pluck Supachai this year to head UNCTAD for no reason.

[ratcatcher]

I think Surakiart Sathirathai, is totally unacceptable as the next U.N. Secretary General due partly to his total lack of interest in trying to put pressure on the goons in Rangoon, (now moved to Pyinmana) to release the rightful leader of that sad country, one Aung San Suu Kyi.

Until the character that calls himself the leader of Thailand shows some spirit or guts towards dealing with these military retards (the junta), the rest of the world (that part which counts) will just ignore Thailand's bleatings.

Surakiart has of course had the blessing of Russia and China but the USA and UK and the Europeans will never agree to it as it's out of his league. Apparently there are human rights violations in Myanmar(Burma) or so I have heard.

Bottom line: He ain't gonna get da job" Finito. Set Lao!

Edited December 22, 2005 by ratcatcher

[cdnvic]

UN POST BID: Envoys told to stand by Surakiart

Published on December 23, 2005

Government dismisses ‘invalid’ view of former ambassador to Washington

The government yesterday reaffirmed its support for Deputy Prime Minister Surakiart Sathirathai and sent messages to all its embassies around the world to say he is the best man to replace Kofi Annan as secretary-general of the United Nations.

Officials were quickly into damage-control mode yesterday, firing off telexes rebuffing a September 30 missive from the former ambassador to the United States urging the government to withdraw Surakiart’s candidacy.

The day before he retired, former ambassador Kasit Piromya wrote that US support was in doubt and that it would not be “embarrassing” to withdraw.

He urged the government to honestly assess Surakiart’s candidacy because the country had more important things to do with the money it was lavishing on his nomination.

But the Foreign Ministry, in the cable seen by The Nation, told its envoys yesterday that Kasit’s assessment “was inconsistent with the facts” and may have been “fabricated”.

It said Kasit’s view did not take into consideration the “good and positive atmosphere” between Thailand and the United States as stated in the Joint Statement between Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and US President George W Bush.

The telex also dismissed as “invalid” Kasit’s statement that US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and her predecessor, Colin Powell, were “unresponsive” to Thailand’s effort.

Foreign Minister Kantathi Suphamongkhon said yesterday he considered the leaking of the telex from Kasit a “criminal offence” and that the ministry would launch a full investigation into the breach.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Sihasak Puangketkoew declined to comment specifically on yesterday’s telex but he made a statement along the same lines.

He said discussions between Bush and Thaksin were “on the whole positive” and that the ministry never seriously addressed Kasit’s assessment “because it did not reflect the facts.”

Sihasak said Surakiart’s candidacy was “going forward” with more countries voicing its support, including Asean members who had reaffirmed their support.

“I don’t want to interpret his motives but one has to wonder why a cable sent three months ago was leaked at this point in time,” Sihasak said.

US support is crucial as it is one of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council that has the power to veto candidates.

Sihasak also dismissed an article by Asda Jayanama, former Ambassador to the UN, who accused Surakiart of trying to “bribe” the Sri Lankan government to withdraw its candidate, Jayantha Danaphala, in return for a senior post at the UN.

“There was no offer of quid pro quo. Both sides agreed that this race has no bearing on our bilateral relations,” Sihasak said.

He also dismissed Asda’s statement that Surakiart “gate crashed” the recent Asean Summit in Kuala Lumpur by saying the deputy PM was invited by the regional grouping to update them about his campaign for the UN top job.

Asda said he stands by his article.

The Nation

[cdnvic]

Thaksin and friends need to realize that big fishes in small ponds are best advised not to go for a dip in the ocean.

[vinny]

More from the Nation 22 Dec 2005:

How Surakiart bungles his own UN campaign

Published on Dec 22, 2005

Deputy Prime Minister Surakiart Sathirathai has never ceased to amaze me with his clumsy, eager-beaver diplomacy. His quest for the position of United Nations secretary-general (UNSG) amply demonstrates his bungling working style.

Surakiart succeeded in receiving Asean’s support for his quest about one and a half years before Kofi Annan’s term ends by running a pushy campaign, particularly in regards to how he went about gaining support from Singapore, the last Asean member to give in. Then he sent his permanent secretary to ask a Taiwanese diplomat to lobby his case with the 25 or so UN members that still have diplomatic relations with Taiwan – even though Surakiart has previously said publicly that Thai-Taiwan relations are strictly economic. However, the most disgraceful tactic was reserved for his treatment of Supachai Panitchpakdi, when Thailand’s permanent representative to the UN in New York was asked to coax various diplomats into complaining to Kofi Annan that Kofi’s appointment of Supachai to the highest position in United Nations Conference on Trade and Development would hurt Surakiart’s chance of becoming the next UNSG!

And just before he lost the foreign affairs portfolio, Surakiart made a major bungle when he tried to force our ambassador in Washington to retain the services of two firms providing lobbying services, which had ties to US Vice President Dick Cheney. To our ambassador’s credit, not only did he refuse to sign the wasteful contracts, he also recommended that Surakiart withdraw from the race.

But such events are minor affairs compared to Surakiart’s dealings, directly or by proxy, with the Sri Lankan government.

Earlier this year, after the name of Jayantha Dhanapala was announced as Sri Lanka’s candidate for the UNSG job, the director-general of the South Asian Department of Thailand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned the Sri Lankan ambassador to the ministry to hear Thailand’s, or should I say Surakiart’s, displeasure because of this announcement. The ambassador did not put up long with this gesture, and soon left. This policy of deliberate discourtesy continued when the Foreign Ministry rejected the ambassador’s request for extra security for his president for her short private visit to Bangkok on her way home from Tokyo.

After such unprofessional and unfriendly treatment of Sri Lanka, one could assume that Surakiart would not pursue this delicate issue further. However, early last month, Virachai Virameteekul, our vice minister of foreign affairs, who is known to be close to Surakiart, visited Colombo, ostensibly to preside over the Thai Foreign Ministry’s kathin ceremony. In reality his main purpose was to call on the Sri Lankan foreign minister, whom he met on November 4. During the private meeting, Virachai effectively offered this deal to the Sri Lankan side: if the country withdrew its candidate, Thailand would give Dhanapala any senior post in the UN that he wanted.

This astonishing proposal was rejected by Sri Lanka because, it was explained, its candidate was more than qualified to be UNSG. Perhaps Sri Lanka should have replied “We do not take bribes.”

After this event it must have dawned on Surakiart that a major faux pas has been committed. And so it became the task of our vice minister to formally explain to Sri Lanka that the offer was merely Surakiart’s “own personal initiative”.

With such chilling of Thai-Sri Lankan relations, it was not surprising that only a low-key official reception, without the participation of the countries’ foreign ministers, was held at Thailand’s Foreign Ministry on November 21, to mark 50 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

However, this was not the end of Surakiart’s attempt to get rid of Dhanapala. At the Asean Foreign Ministers Dinner in Kuala Lumpur on December 8, which he managed to gatecrash, Surakiart opined to the Asean foreign ministers that “many think the Sri Lankan is not a serious candidate”, adding his claim that the Nigerian foreign minister had “offered to talk to the Sri Lankan candidate to get him to withdraw”. If this is true, obviously our Nigerian brother was unaware of Surakiart’s failure to convince the Sri Lankan candidate to back down by other means. Otherwise, the Nigerian would not have dared to offer his services in the role of “big brother”. One may legitimately ask whether our African brother really knows what he may be getting into.

As an official candidate of a government which is known to be anti-UN, as well as of a regional organisation with one member annually being condemned by the UN for human rights violations, Surakiart surely has enough problems on his hands – problems which he needs to explain to the international community, especially to members of the UN Security Council who in reality are the ones will who determine who will be the next UNSG. I am therefore puzzled why he would want to aggravate further his already wobbly international standing by running such a clumsy, unethical and uncouth campaign.

One may conclude from his campaign that Surakiart not only wasted vast amounts of Thai taxpayers’ money, but also destroyed the good reputation of Thai diplomacy – both as a refined method of civilised communication and as an honest method of attaining foreign policy objectives.

Diplomacy is now an instrument of the maverick, the uncouth, the ignorant and the egotist, who apparently are primarily interested in fulfilling their personal ambitions.

Asda Jayanama was permanent representative of Thailand to the United Nations from 1996 to 2001.

Asda Jayanama

Special to The Nation

[ovenman]

I've always felt that a better case could be made for pushing Surin Pitsuwan as a Thai candidate for the UN secretary-general position but since Surin is not in the circle of Mr. Big cronies, that idea is a non-starter.

[sriracha john]

A special insider's view revealing an all-too-rare glimpse into the inner workings of the current political regime.

Thanks for posting it, Vinny.

Edited December 23, 2005 by sriracha john

[thedude]

the only thing unusual about this sort of political jostling for the UNSG post is that the Nation chose to recount it in such a dramatic fashion in an editorial written by an ex-diplomat.

notwithstanding and with due respect to the US' right of veto, its worth noting that there is a history of informal rotation involved in the post, and the next UNSG is generally expected to be from Asia. if the Thai candidate has indeed secured the backing of ASEAN and China, he has certainly come a long way.

the big fish/small pond allegory thus escapes me. a previous UNSG was from Burma, not exactly a big fish in any pond. kofi annan himself is Ghanian.

if you manage to tear yourself away from the Nation and go through the pages of www.unsg.org. you will see that the Thai candidate is no less equiped for the job compared to many of the other candidates.

[Plus]

Surakiart hasn't got anything to show - no achievements of any kind. For the past five years you could only hear about him in connection to the UN post bid, even ACD (half dead by now) is more of Taksin's than Surakiart's pet projects. He hasn't got any real platform, he hasn't shown any ideas, he hasn't got any principles either.

What exactly did he promised to Russians and Chinese for their support? I don't believe it came free of charge. What price will Thailand have to pay? Are those SU30 jets a part of the trade off? If the deal collapses, will the Russians choose someone else to support?

Burma is a rising issue both in the US and Europe and Burma is Surakiart's weakest link. And true, without US backing he has no chance whatsoever.

It's not like he is representning developing countries as was Supachai with WTO - he doesn't represent anything (except his enourmous ego).

[charles]

the big fish/small pond allegory thus escapes me.  a previous UNSG was from Burma, not exactly a big fish in any pond.   kofi annan himself is Ghanian.

Big fish/small pond was referring to a certain type of person and how he behaves not what country he comes from per se. I agree, why shouldn't a UN Sec. Gen. come from Thailand. But as mentioned by others, it should be someone of quality and substance, such as Supachai or Surin Pitsuwan, both Democrats of course!

Edited December 23, 2005 by charles

[Harry2]

The outstanding Thai candidate would surely have been Anand Panyarachun. Right mixture of private/public experience; twice PM; drafted Thailand's latest constitution; was Thailand's representative at the UN & finally recently chaired the UN high level committee on Threats, Challenges and Change.

Of course to have had such a capable, internationally respected Thai in such a prominent position may have cast others in a less favourable light.

[Siripon]

the only thing unusual about this sort of political jostling for the UNSG post is that the Nation chose to recount it in such a dramatic fashion in an editorial written by an ex-diplomat.

notwithstanding and with due respect to the US' right of veto, its worth noting that there is a history of informal rotation involved in the post, and the next UNSG is generally expected to be from Asia.  if the Thai candidate has indeed secured the backing of ASEAN and China, he has certainly come a long way. 

the big fish/small pond allegory thus escapes me.  a previous UNSG was from Burma, not exactly a big fish in any pond.  kofi annan himself is Ghanian.

if you manage to tear yourself away from the Nation and go through the pages of www.unsg.org. you will see that the Thai candidate is no less equiped for the job compared to many of the other candidates.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

The Dude, if you know Thai politics intimately you will know that the great pretender is intensely disliked amongst Thai circles as well as abroad for his weening insistence on being referred to as 'Doctor' in every correspondence, apart from his choice of close companions.

[sriracha john]

[cdnvic]

UNITED NATIONS BID: Grudge fuelled telex: Surakiart

Published on December 24, 2005

Deputy prime minister slams accuser as being ‘unpatriotic’ for opposing his push to become secretary-general. Deputy Prime Minister Surakiart Sathirathai yesterday suggested a telex sent by former ambassador to Washington Kasit Piromya calling for his removal from the UN secretary general race was motivated by a grudge. “He [Kasit] was the ambassador to Japan and the United States when I was the foreign minister.

These are the top posts at the ministry. I don’t understand what he is disappointed about or whether he wanted to be more than what he was,” Surakiart said.

Speaking to reporters yesterday, Surakiart said it was the duty of all ambassadors to “create understanding” between Thailand and foreign nations and added that if something is bad, “it is their duty to make it good”.

Surakiart also suggested that the leak was part of an unpatriotic campaign to discredit him.

“I would like to ask the three or four Thai individuals who are fabricating this mess to stop because we are all Thai people. Alleging that we had tried to bribe Sri Lanka could be damaging to bilateral relations,” said Surakiart, referring to an article in Thursday’s The Nation by Asda Jayanama (“How Surakiart bungled his own UN campaign”, Opinion), in which Asda also suggested that Surakiart was not qualified for the post.

Asda wrote that Virachai Virameteekul, the vice minister of Foreign Affairs, offered to give their candidate, Janyantha Dhanapala, any top UN post he desired if Sri Lanka withdrew him from the race for UN secretary-general.

“Thailand underestimated Sri Lanka’s determination and belittled its candidate with the offer,” said Asda, who stood by his allegation.

Janyantha, the former Sri Lankan ambassador to Beijing and Washington, had also served at the UN under the secretary-general looking after arms proliferation and weapons of mass destruction.

Asda and diplomatic sources said that earlier this year, the Foreign Ministry summoned Sri Lanka’s ambassador in Bangkok to hear the government’s displeasure at Colombo’s decision to field Janyantha.

“Summoning the Sri Lankan because of this was diplomatic thuggery,” Asda said.

Asda also suggested the debate concerning support for Surakiart’s candidacy should go beyond issues of nationality. “Don’t hide behind Thailand and use Thailand as a protective shield. Of course we should support a Thai candidate in principle, but that Thai candidate must be qualified, mature and respect diplomatic protocol,” Asda said.

“On the contrary, if we support an unqualified Thai candidate, the world would ask us: Don’t we have anyone better than this guy?” said Asda. “We need to come up with a first class candidate, not a third or fourth rate politician,” Asda said.

Surakiart’s statement yesterday came as the government shifted quickly into damage-control mode after a telex from Kasit was leaked to the media.

[Chang_paarp]

Politics aside, I am staggered to see that the Thai govenment is still using telex as a form of communication. I thought they went the way of the dinosaur in the mid 1980's with emergance of the fax machine and the digital era.

I wonder where they got the telex machine, let alone any of the other equipment needed to get one to work.

I hope there are people here who are old enough to remember them.

[griser]

My guess is that this is a result of the worldwide dissaproval of the Taksin regime's policies towards human rights.

Even Burma had a better record back when they had the seat!

Greg

[penzman]

REPLACING KOFI ANNAN: Abandon UN race, Bangkok advised

The telex also pointed out that Rumsfeld did not appear satisfied with Surakiart’s answer when asked what kind of platform the Thai candidate was running on. Instead of explaining what he had in mind for UN reforms, Surakiart spoke of the importance of the US role in the world body, the telex said.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

[OlRedEyes]

UN POST BID: Envoys told to stand by Surakiart

Published on December 23, 2005

Government dismisses ‘invalid’ view of former ambassador to Washington

The government yesterday reaffirmed its support for Deputy Prime Minister Surakiart Sathirathai and sent messages to all its embassies around the world to say he is the best man to replace Kofi Annan as secretary-general of the United Nations.

Officials were quickly into damage-control mode yesterday, firing off telexes rebuffing a September 30 missive from the former ambassador to the United States urging the government to withdraw Surakiart’s candidacy.

The day before he retired, former ambassador Kasit Piromya wrote that US support was in doubt and that it would not be “embarrassing” to withdraw.

He urged the government to honestly assess Surakiart’s candidacy because the country had more important things to do with the money it was lavishing on his nomination.

But the Foreign Ministry, in the cable seen by The Nation, told its envoys yesterday that Kasit’s assessment “was inconsistent with the facts” and may have been “fabricated”.

It said Kasit’s view did not take into consideration the “good and positive atmosphere” between Thailand and the United States as stated in the Joint Statement between Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and US President George W Bush.

The telex also dismissed as “invalid” Kasit’s statement that US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and her predecessor, Colin Powell, were “unresponsive” to Thailand’s effort.

Foreign Minister Kantathi Suphamongkhon said yesterday he considered the leaking of the telex from Kasit a “criminal offence” and that the ministry would launch a full investigation into the breach.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Sihasak Puangketkoew declined to comment specifically on yesterday’s telex but he made a statement along the same lines.

He said discussions between Bush and Thaksin were “on the whole positive” and that the ministry never seriously addressed Kasit’s assessment “because it did not reflect the facts.”

Sihasak said Surakiart’s candidacy was “going forward” with more countries voicing its support, including Asean members who had reaffirmed their support.

“I don’t want to interpret his motives but one has to wonder why a cable sent three months ago was leaked at this point in time,” Sihasak said.

US support is crucial as it is one of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council that has the power to veto candidates.

Sihasak also dismissed an article by Asda Jayanama, former Ambassador to the UN, who accused Surakiart of trying to “bribe” the Sri Lankan government to withdraw its candidate, Jayantha Danaphala, in return for a senior post at the UN.

“There was no offer of quid pro quo. Both sides agreed that this race has no bearing on our bilateral relations,” Sihasak said.

He also dismissed Asda’s statement that Surakiart “gate crashed” the recent Asean Summit in Kuala Lumpur by saying the deputy PM was invited by the regional grouping to update them about his campaign for the UN top job.

Asda said he stands by his article.

The Nation

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Babes in the woods. They really fckin don't get it do they.

[ovenman]

I wonder where they got the telex machine, let alone any of the other equipment needed to get one to work. 

Anybody want to wager that Shin Corp. was able to supply all parties concerned with some very reasonably priced vintage telex equipment?

[OlRedEyes]

I wonder where they got the telex machine, let alone any of the other equipment needed to get one to work. 

Anybody want to wager that Shin Corp. was able to supply all parties concerned with some very reasonably priced vintage telex equipment?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Wonder if these guys still use morse code too

[sriracha john]

UPDATE

Perhaps all the jockeying and hype for Khun Surakiart is wasted:

Battlelines drawn over top job at U.N.

United Nations (New York), Feb. 14: Choosing a new Secretary-General may be the most telling action the United Nations takes in 2006, but the organisation is saddled with an ill-defined selection procedure that leaves the choice subject to 11th-hour compromises, great power manoeuvres and regional rivalries.

The most discussed candidates, at least at the moment, include a Jordanian prince, a Nobel laureate from East Timor, two Eastern European presidents, Sweden’s most accomplished diplomat, a Canadian judge and a Turkish economist.

Three Asians are also among the favourites: Thailand’s deputy prime minister Surakiart Sathirathai, a Harvard-educated lawyer with a background in finance and international economics; Mr Jayantha Dhanapala of Sri Lanka, a former UN under secretary-general for disarmament and one-time envoy to the United States; and Mr Ban Ki Moon, the South Korean foreign minister.

This year was long previewed as Asia’s turn to fill the post, because it had not done so since Burmese U. Thant finished his second term in 1971. But Mr John Bolton, the US ambassador, has challenged this regional rotation idea, saying that the only criterion should be merit.

Of the UN Security Council’s other four veto holders, Britain shares Mr Bolton’s view, France contends that region should be a priority but not the defining one, and China and Russia say they will insist on an Asian. Mr Wang Guangya, China’s ambassador, said his country would support only candidates from Asia, a polite way of saying it would threaten to veto other candidates.

Mr Richard Holbrooke, the former American ambassador to the United Nations, said he thought China had the influence to guarantee an Asian choice. “A lot of people have thrown up a lot of names, but in real world the fact that the Asians have not had a Secretary-General since U. Thant is of tremendous importance to China, and China will make ###### sure it happens,” he said.

China has a veto on the Security Council, where the power lies. But if history is a guide, it is unlikely that none of the discussed or declared candidates will emerge as the winner, and that the person who does is not currently being publicly discussed. Dag Hammarskjold, the second Secretary-General, did not even know he was a candidate when he was told on April 1, 1953, that he had been selected. “He thought it was an April Fool’s joke,” said Brian Urquhart, a former under secretary-general. I didn't know that?!

Kofi Annan’s second five year-term ends on December 31, and there is particular interest in the contest to succeed him because scandals in the oil-for-food programme and the UN purchasing office have prompted calls for an executive with proven management skills in addition to the usual diplomatic talents. But there are no established qualifications for the post, no search committees for the post, no interviews, no background checks, no campaign rules and no forums for showcasing aspirants and their ideas.

“I think there are real questions about openness and transparency,” said Allan Rock, Canada’s ambassador, “and it would be better for the institution if we had a clear understanding of the criteria and qualification for candidates and an opportunity for member states to be introduced to them before the final selection is made.”

Mr Bolton said he intended to discuss the succession plan in the Security Council this month while the United States occupies the presidency. Much of the jockeying is being done in secret because it can be risky for the hopefuls to make their ambitions known too early.

“It’s the exact opposite of a US presidential race, where you want to get out of the box early and scare off opponents by fund-raising and showing well in primaries,” said Courtney Smith, an associate professor at Seton hall University in New Jersey. The job is described in the UN Charters as simply “chief administrative officer” and the method of choice as “appointed by the General Assembly upon the recommendation of the Security Council.” In reality, reflecting where power truly resides, the 191-member General Assembly ratifies a name selected by the 15-member Security Council.

“At the UN,” Mr Smith said ,“the winner turns out to be the least objectionable person to the most number of the countries, and particularly to the permanent five.” The last time the United nations selected a new Secretary-General was in 1996, when Mr Annan was named — only two weeks before he took the job.

- Sulekha Global News

Edited February 15, 2006 by sriracha john

[thedude]

it ain't over till the fat lady sings.

Thaksin seeks French support for Thai candidate for next UN chief

BANGKOK : Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra says he hopes France, one of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council, would support a Thai candidate as the world body's next secretary general.

Thaksin and President Jacques Chirac will hold talks when the French leader makes his first state visit to the country on Friday and Saturday.

"We've asked for the support from President Chirac personally," Thaksin told AFP in an interview, adding that the next UN chief should come from Asia due to its presence in global affairs.

"But we don't know yet because if it were to be Asia's turn, we (Thailand) stand a very good chance," Thaksin said.

Singapore also said Thursday it backed the candidacy of Thai Deputy Prime Minister Surakiart Sathirathai for the post of UN Secretary General despite a bid by South Korea's foreign minister. Earlier this week, Indonesia also announced its backing for the Thai candidate.

The race to replace UN Secretary General Kofi Annan moved to high gear after South Korean Foreign Minister Ban Ki-Moon on Tuesday declared his candidacy for the UN's top post.

Annan's second five-year term as UN secretary-general expires at the end of the year, and the Ghanaian boss has said he should be replaced by an Asian to conform to regional rotation of the top job.

South Korea's Ban is the third Asian to declare his candidacy after Surakiart and Sri Lanka's Jayantha Dhanapala, an adviser to President Mahinda Rajapakse.

Thaksin said Surakiart, an academic-turned-politician, would do well for the world body.

"We hope that President Chirac and the French government will support because I think he is a good candidate. He will be very good for the UN if he can be" appointed, the prime minister said.

Chirac has told Thailand's English-daily The Nation earlier that the new UN chief must be a leader who can unite the international community but stopped short of endorsing the Thai candidate.

"This choice will be made bearing in mind that the successor to Kofi Annan must be a name which unites the international community," Chirac said in an interview with the paper, published on Wednesday.

Before entering politics, Surakiart was the dean of the faculty of law at Chulalongkorn University, Thailand's top university.

- AFP/ir