UN's
Pascoe Met with Kyrgyz Otunbayeva Days Before Bakiyev Ouster, Johnny
Appleseed?
By
Matthew Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS, April 12 -- When the UN's Ban Ki-moon was in Kyrgyzstan last
week, just before the violent overthrow of President Kurmanbek
Bakiyev, his top political advisor met with a single opposition
figure: former UN staff member Roza Otunbayeva, days before she took
over Bakiyev's place as a de facto head of state a/k/a coup leader.
Last
week Inner
City Press reported,
then exclusively, that Ms. Otunbayeva had worked
for the UN from 2002 to 2004 in Georgia. Inner City Press asked Mr.
Ban's spokespeople if Ban "or his staff had any communications
with her prior or subsequent to the fall of the Baliev Government
yesterday?"
Ban's
associate
spokesman Farhan Haq replied archly, "" I wouldn't comment
on the leadership in Kyrgyzstan while Jan Kubis prepares his visit. I
can confirm that Rosa Otunbayeva had been Deputy SRSG for UNOMIG from
2002 to 2004. "
But
over the
weekend, sources told Inner City Press that Ban's head of Political
Affairs, B. Lynn Pascoe, had met with opposition figures including
Ms. Otunbayeva. Some suggested, perhaps tongue in cheek, that Mr. Ban
had belatedly become something of a Johnny Appleseed of revolutions,
in this case one which Russia also supported.
And
so at the next
noon briefing on April 12, Inner City Press asked Ban's spokesman
Martin Nesirky about the meeting with Ms. Otunbayeva, which (other)
opposition figures the UN met with. Video here,
from Minute 9:50.
"I
think it's
singular rather than plural," Nesirky said, "and it was Ms.
Otunbayeva." He alluded to a "half dozen representatives,
mostly journalists, including Ms. Otunbayeva."
But
what was the
purpose of the meeting? Was Ms. Otunbayeva a journalist?
"The
S-G,"
Nesirky continued, was in other meetings and so asked Mr. Pascoe and
others in the delegation to do the meeting and report back.
Who
else was in
the meeting: now UN envoy Jan Kubis? Inner City Press asked for a
read out on the pre-revolution meeting, but Nesirky declined. "I
don't think that's possible, that goes beyond normal diplomatic
practice."
UN's Ban with Bakiyev on April 3- as Pascoe met Ms.
Otunbayeva?
So
what did the top
political advisor for Mr. Ban -- or should be call him Johnny
Appleseed? -- discuss with Ms. Otunbayeva?
Footnote:
moments later in front of the UN Security Council, Inner City Press
asked this month's Council president Yukio Takasu of Japan about the
call by Bakiyev for the UN to send peacekeepers to Kyrgyzstan. Video here,
from Minute 4:07.
Ambassador Takasu
said he and Council member are "obviously aware of the report"
but the Council and S-G have not received "official
notification." Could it be a bit difficult to send an official
letter from Kyrgyzstan right now? Watch this site.
* * *
As
Kyrgyz Interim Leader Worked for UN, No Comment from UN, Pending Kubis
By
Matthew Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS, April 8 -- With the world temporarily focused on or at
least looking at Kyrgyzstan, much of the focus has been on new
"interim" leader Rosa Otunbayeva. One salient fact,
however, has been missed: Rosa Otunbayeva has worked for the UN, in
Georgia, from 2002 to 2004.
Inner
City Press
went back and found a
quote from Rosa Otunbaeva:
UNOMIG
deputy head Roza Otunbayeva said she hoped that both sides would
still make an attempt to give concessions in order to advance the
talks, and she pledged continued support from the United Nations. "The
U.N. will do everything possible to create conditions
conducive to trust and constructive work," she said (Kuchuberia,
ITAR-Tass).
Based
on this,
Inner City Press asked UN Associate Spokesman Farhan Haq
The
new [interim] leader of Kyrgyzstan is a former senior UN official,
having served as the Deputy and Acting SRSG in UNOMIG during the
previous SG's tenure. Does the Secretary-General believe that the new
leader is someone he can work with, given her UN credentials?
The
UN's Haq
replied that
"Concerning
Kyrgyzstan, as the SG announced, Jan Kubis will travel there tomorrow
as his special envoy. We will await his travel and meetings as we
evaluate the situation in the country; we wouldn't have any comment
on the leadership there at present."
Inner
City Press
followed up:
"to
the Kyrgyz question, can the UN confirm that the current 'interim'
leader of Kyrgyzstan is a former Acting UNSRSG? And has the current
SG or his staff had any communications with her prior or subsequent
to the fall of the Baliev Government yesterday?"
Bear
in mind
that close observers say that Ms. Otunbayeva was chosen as interim
leader due to her "international connections."
Ms.
Otunbayeva with then UNSG Annan, Ban Ki-moon's Kyrgyz visit not shown
But the UN's
Haq replied:
"
I wouldn't comment on the leadership in Kyrgyzstan while Jan Kubis
prepares his visit. I can confirm that Rosa Otunbayeva had been
Deputy SRSG for UNOMIG from 2002 to 2004. "
What
magic, then,
can possible next UN Secretary General Jan Kubis perform in
Kyrgyzstan? Watch this site.
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