At
UN,
Syria Vote
Slated for
Tuesday, China
Dubious of
Sanctions,
Palestine on
Friday, Sudan
By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
October 3 --
Proponents of
sanctions on
Syria have
scheduled
a vote on
their draft
resolution for
October 4 at 5
pm, Inner City
Press has
learned.
In
front of the
Security
Council
throughout
Monday,
Ambassadors
passed to meet
with
this month's
Nigerian
president, Joy
Ogwu. Inner
City Press
asked
them about
Syria, on
which
French
Ambassador
Gerard Araud
said the
draft
sanctions
resolution
would be put
to a vote on
September 30 -
false - or
Monday.
Monday
morning,
German
Ambassador
Peter Wittig
told Inner
City Press
"there are
more
consultations"
but to expect
a vote "sooner
rather
than later."
Monday
afternoon,
UK Ambassador
Mark Lyall
Grant told
Inner City
Press that
"consultations
continue,"
while
graciously
answering a
question about
the October 6
Council
session on
Sudan.
Moments
later,
Chinese
Permanent
Representative
Li Baodong was
more candid,
telling
Inner City
Press that a
vote on Syria
has been
called for
5 pm on
Tuesday. He
said that for
China, any
inclusion of a
reference to
sanctions in
15 or 30 days
is very
difficult.
Other
Permanent
Representatives
then confirmed
this 5 pm
Friday timing.
Why were the
proponents
less candid?
Li Baodong
with Churkin
and Osorio,
Ja'afari of
Syria in back
On
Sudan,
following
Khartoum's
violation of
its agreement
to pull its
troops out of
Abyei
on September
30, the
matter will be
taken up on
October 6.
Lyall
Grant said
that Khartoum
is now
imposing new
conditions,
such as the
full
deployment of
the UNISFA
mission, which
is not
possible he
said
until the end
of November.
On Palestine,
those who wish
to slow or
block UN
membership
said that the
Committee
on Admission
of New Members
will merely
update
President Ogwu
in two
weeks.
Palestinian
membership
supporters
said that Ogwu
must update
the Council in
two weeks. In
any evert,
Inner City
Press has
learned
that the first
meeting of the
Committee at
the Experts'
level is
Friday. And so
it goes at the
UN.
, 
