UN
Nov 11 Vote
Pushed By Foes
of Palestine
Membership,
Jan
1 Changes
By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
October 24 --
When the UN
Security
Council
scheduled
Palestine's
application
for membership
to be
presented back
to the
full Council
from the
Committee on
Admission of
New Members on
November 11,
it was left
unclear and
undecided if
an up or down
vote
on membership
would be held
that day.
Since
Mahmoud
Abbas launched
the membership
bid on
September 23
and
Palestinian
Observer Riyad
Mansour told
the Press the
Council
process should
end
during the
Nigerian
presidency --
that is, in
October --
it's been
assumed that
Palestine and
its supporters
are the ones
wanting a vote
on November
11.
But
multiple
sources tell
Inner City
Press that the
push for a
vote on
November 11
comes from
opponents of
Palestine's
membership.
The analysis
is that
on the current
Council there
are not the
required nine
positive votes
for
Palestinian
membership.
(c) UN Photo
Abbas
launches bid
Sept 23,
pusher for Nov
11 vote ne se
voie pas
The
Obama
Administration,
in any event,
has said it
would veto
Palestinian UN
membership --
but without
nine positive
votes it could
escape the
isolation it
faced in
vetoing the
anti-settlements
resolution
previously.
The
elections for
new seats on
the Security
Council for
2012-13
reflect
increased
support in
January for
Palestinian
membership,
with Pakistan
and
Morocco among
others joining
the Council.
So by the
logic of those
opposed to
Palestinian
member, the
time to call
for the vote
is now.
France,
several
Council
sources say,
is pushing for
a November 11
vote.
But
couldn't
Palestine just
re-submit an
application
for membership
for
consideration
on January 1
or shortly
thereafter?
On
logistics,
there will be
a meeting of
Permanent
Representatives
sitting as the
Committee on
Admission of
New Members on
November 3,
then they will
report to
themselves on
November 11,
as the full
Council.
Watch this
site.
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