At
UN, Dance of Libya and Switzerland, Munoz on Lula Over Ban for S-G
2012, Sri Lanka
Charades
By
Matthew Russell Lee
WASHINGTON,
March 12 -- In the UN General Assembly, hand overs of power
from one President to the next are usually routine. But this
September may see fireworks. Libya's Ali Treki, who Inner City Press
exclusively
reported as being on a Swiss and thus Schengen group
travel ban list, may have to hand power to Swiss diplomat Joseph
Deiss.
Numerous
sources
describe to Inner City Press Deiss' buzzing around the UN, after
gaining
the "Western European and Other Group" nomination
for the post. The Swiss Mission to the UN, which was unwilling to
confirm or even deny Ali Treki's presence on their travel ban list,
has not spoke of Deiss' visit. Ah transparency.
Meanwhile,
press in
Latin America and even Chilean
Ambassador to the UN Munoz have been
speaking of Brazil's Lula as a possible UN Secretary General in
2012.
While many in the UN might wish that this would happen, it is
considered impolitic for Munoz, currently seeking an Assistant
Secretary General post from Ban Ki-moon, to talk up a competing Lula
candidacy.
Others
say "ah
ha" about the Lula story, thinking this might explain Lula's
schmoozing with Iran and other non favored regimes. What's next, Lula
praising Sri Lanka's Rajapaksa and his blood bath on the beach? Pro
Rajapaksa Sri Lankans are expected to demonstrate Friday at noon in
front of the UN, echoing the Non Aligned Movements letter claiming
that the UN has no human rights mandate.
Deiss at UN, Schengen list and Treki not shown
Cynics
says this
dance between the Rajapaksas and Ban Ki-moon is entire scripted, with
each side getting what it wants. Ban gets to claim -- for now -- that
he has done or at least said something about the blood bath on the
beach, and his own chief of staff's questionable role in summary
execution of surrendering LTTE leaders.
Mahinda
Rajapaksa gets to
say, again, that he stood out to interference. But when will Ban name
his panel? And why is its scope, even in advance, more limited than
in Guinea, or what the UN special rapporteur is calling for on
Myanmar? Watch this site.
* * *
With
UN's Treki Reportedly Under Swiss Travel Ban, He Cites Vienna
Convention, Meets Gabon's Bongo, Heads to S. Korea
By
Matthew Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS, March 10 -- The President of the UN General Assembly Ali
Treki has "reminded" Switzerland of its duty to respect the
Vienna Convention on diplomatic immunity and the right to travel,
three weeks after Inner City Press exclusively
reported and then asked about Treki being
on a Swiss and thus EU / Schengen group travel ban list.
In
a cryptic
statement issued Tuesday night, Treki's spokesman Jean Victor Nkolo
said
"Answering
a ['lingering'] question regarding relations between Libya and
Switzerland, the
Spokesperson of the Presidency of the United Nations General
Assembly, indicated that the President of the General Assembly is
following the deterioration in the relationship between the two
countries. He emphasized that the President of the General Assembly
stresses the need to resolve this dispute in a manner that upholds
the principles of international law and respects the international
agreements, in particular the Vienna Convention on diplomatic
immunities and privileges, and the right of all individuals for free
movement in accordance United Nations norms and standards."
Inner
City Press
asked Nkolo is this was belated confirmation that the PGA's office
knows, as Inner City Press was told and as Italy implicit confirmed,
that Treki is on Switzerland's Schengen travel ban notice. The
usually effusive Nkolo said that "the statement speaks for
itself."
Inner
City Press
was told by a well placed source that due to concerns about the list,
the PGAs office asked Switzerland if Treki was still free to travel
to Geneva, and got an affirmative answer. But the rest of the
Schengen group? Why is Italy mentioning Treki when it asks for
Switzerland to modify the list it sent out?
The irony
here is that Switzerland's ire is directed at Gaddafi for its
imprisonment of two Swiss businessmen in retaliation Switzerland acting
on physical abuse by Gaddafi's son in Switzerland. But Treki is not
getting along with Libya's mission to the UN. Because he was formerly
Libya's foreign minister, he was put on the list. Treki is in a very
delicate position, especially given that his PGA mandate expires in
September. Paraphrasing Tom -- and not Alejandro -- Wolfe, can you go
home again?
Libya's Ali Treki, Swiss Schengen list not shown
Meanwhile,
with
Treki slated to travel to Seoul, the story is that he will be
speaking about the G-20 and South Korea's upcoming chairmanship and
meeting. South Korea, of course, is not part of the Schengen group...
Footnotes: later on
March 9, the PGA's office issued a press statement about Treki's
meeting with the son of Gabon's long time dictator Omar Bongo, Ali
Bongo, now president. Earlier on March 9, the International Peace
Institute barred from Ali Bongo's presentation journalists and others
who had RSVP-ed. Much demand for the dictator!
On
Treki and his Office, Close UN watchers still wonder why the PGA's
Office has allowed long time UN Security officer Ralph Hering to be the
scapegoat for Treki's daughter's invitation of the KFC Colonel Sander
impersonator to the UN's second floor. There are other PGA injustice
issues still pending. Watch this site.
* * *
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