On
French
Polynesia,
Araud Says
Don't Use UN
for Politics-
Hollande Did
By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
February 27 –
As French
Polynesia
pushes at the
UN to get
back on the
C-24
decolonization
list, Inner
City Press on
Wednesday
asked France's
Permanent
Representative
Gerard Araud
about the
move.
(Inner City
Press first
wrote about
the rising
action on
February 25,
here.)
Araud
noted that
there are
elections in
French
Polynesia in
April and said
“the UN
shouldn't be
used in an
electoral
campaign.” Of
course,
the UN and
Security
Council often
are. Even
Francois
Hollande's
popularity
went up after
his decision
to intervene
in Mali -- a
decision his
government and
Araud told the
Security
Council was in
the framework
of
international
law and
Council
resolutions.
Araud
went on to
note that
several
members of the
Non-Aligned
Movement are
not in support
of French
Polynesia's
push. One of
them, it's
said,
said in
Tuesday's
meeting
sponsored by
the Solomon
Islands that
resolutions
shouldn't be
used for
elections back
home. But
again,
they often
are.
Analogy
is
made to New
Caledonia,
which by
resolution got
re-inscribed
on the
decolonization
list in the
1980s. There,
even amid
violent
protest,
the resolution
is called by
opponents of
French
Polynesia's
move
“more
balanced” than
the current
one.
So
water it down,
suggests
another. But
pass it. Watch
this site.
Footnote:
French
spokesman
Brieuc Pont is
leaving, we
can report, to
work for
the Finance
Ministry in
Paris. We had
our run ins,
but later on
as
his tenure at
the UN drew
near to the
close he
allowed
questions,
which were
answered,
which is all
we ask for. Bon
voyage
and bonne
chance.
, 
