For
UNSC,
Australia
Claims 162
Commitments,
Finland 165,
Fudge Factor
By
Matthew
Russell Lee,
Exclusive
UNITED
NATIONS,
October 16 --
The morning
after
Australia's
Security
Council
election party
in the UN
Tent, Inner
City Press
asked the
country's
Permanent
Representative
Gary Quinlan
about his
Finnish
counterpart
Jarmo Viinanen
having just
exclusively
told the Press
that Finland
has 165
commitments,
from the 193
UN member
states.
Combined
with
Luxembourg
supporters
telling Inner
City Press
that country
has
150 promises,
that would
leave
Australia with
a mere 71
votes.
Ambassador
Quinlan
paused then
said, "Take
that and
double it,
then add
twenty." That
would be 162.
Like Viinanen,
he said he
believes
countries'
commitments,
recounting
that one
member state
--
only one, he
emphasized --
recently came
and said it
was switching
its
vote away. He
said he was
disappointed,
but
appreciated
being told.
That
candor can be
contrasted
with this
race, in which
by some counts
one
third of
member states
are
dissembling
and committing
to three
countries for
only two
seats.
Beyond
the tent
reception,
with over 400
guests, and a
lot of travel,
African
sources tell
Inner City
Press that
Australia will
be funding
a post in the
African Union.
Inner
City Press
asked Russian
Permanent
Representative
Vitaly Churkin
about it and
he quipped,
the important
thing is not
to have more
than
193 votes.
Yes,
that might
bring in an
investigation.
First the
voting, on
October
18. Watch this
site.
, 
