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UN
Celebrates
Vote in Nepal
As It Is
Rejected,
Silent on US
Disabilities
Treaty
By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
November 20 --
Two weeks ago,
Inner City
Press asked
the UN
spokesperson
Farhan Haq
about
relations
between the UN
resident
coordinator in
Nepal Jamie McGoldrick
and the CPN-M
there in the
run-up to the
November 19
elections.
Haq
said he had
nothing to add
to
McGoldrick's
comments,
which the
CPM-M called
interference.
(Moments
later,
Inner City
Press asked
Haq if Ban or
the UN have
any comment on
consideration
of the UN
Convention on
the Rights of
People with
Disabilities
in the US
Senate. Haq
said that the
UN doesn't
comment on
things that
are pending.)
At the noon briefing
on November
20, Haq read
out an upbeat
Ban Ki-moon
statement
about the
elections in
Nepal, where
the UN has had
a presence for
years.
Hours later,
the CPN-M rejected
the vote,
called for a
suspension of
counting. What
has the UN
been doing in
Nepal all
these years?
Is the UN surprised?
What did the
UN in Nepal do
for the past
two weeks?
We'll wait to
hear from the
UN.
One wonder if,
now, the
failure of the
UN, following
the US, to
"call a coup a
coup" in Egypt
will be seen
to undercut
condemnations
in Nepal...
Footnote:
Meanwhile
Ban Ki-moon
sent
congratulations
to New York
City's mayor-elect
Bill de
Blasio, and
invited him to
visit the UN.
The Free
UN Coalition
for Access
has asked, and
will continue
to, what de
Blasio's
position is on
the UN taking
over the
Robert Moses
Playground on
42nd Street
and First
Avenue. Watch
this site.
Update:
after
publication on
November 7,
the UN sent
this:
Subject:
Your
question at
noon on Nepal
From: UN
Spokesperson -
Do Not Reply
[at] un.org
Date: Thu, Nov
7, 2013 at
2:14 PM
To:
Matthew.Lee
[at]
innercitypress.com
Regarding
your
question on
the press
release issued
in Nepal
yesterday by
the Resident
Coordinator,
please note
the following
passage in
bold from the
press release
itself:
Statement
by
UN Resident
Coordinator on
behalf of the
International
Community in
Nepal
KATHMANDU,
6
November 2013
--- With only
13 days until
the election
on 19
November, we
applaud the
efforts of all
stakeholders,
including the
interim
government,
the Election
Commission,
the political
parties and
the media, to
make this
process a
success.
Especially we
commend the
role of
thousands of
candidates who
are conducting
their election
campaigns
abiding by the
Election Code
of Conduct.
Many
politicians
and their
supporters are
campaigning
peacefully and
lawfully
despite
unacceptable
threats and
disruptions.
The
international
community
supports the
men and women
of Nepal in
their right to
express their
views in
peace, either
as candidates
or voters.
Everyone
should
respect the
democratic
right to take
part in a
peaceful, open
and inclusive
election.
Bandhs or
strikes, when
enforced by
violence or
the threat of
violence, are
a violation of
the political
rights of
citizens and
against the
laws of Nepal.
Preventing
peaceful
campaigning by
others is also
unlawful.
Parties who
have been
involved in
such actions
should respect
the universal
principle of
free elections
and the rights
of others.
We are
encouraged by
the resolve,
but also the
restraint
shown so far
by the police,
security
forces and the
Home Ministry,
in providing
election
security with
professionalism
in the face of
provocation
during this
sensitive
period.
And on
the
disabilities
treaty in the
US?
* * *
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