For
UNSC,
Luxembourg
Said to Have
150 Promises,
Australia
Counts
on Trips
By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
October 15 --
It's time for
a vote count
in the race
among
Australia,
Luxembourg and
Finland for
two UN
Security
Council seats,
in the run-up
to Thursday's
vote.
Luxembourg is
said to have
commitments
for 150 votes,
which would be
a win in the
first round.
But, as others
point out,
it's a secret
ballot and
such promises
have fallen
apart in the
past. Some
countries say
they support
all three.
Australia,
non-Australian
sources tell
Inner City
Press, does
not have 129
votes, at
least not yet.
But others say
that the money
spent -- which
they put
not at $40
million but
$24 million
"allocated,"
as Foreign
Minister Julia
Gillard
answered Inner
City Press--
including on
trips by
many smaller
countries, may
serve
Australia well
if there are
multiple
rounds.
Some
countries
abide by their
commitment
only for the
first round,
then release
themselves.
Some are
always
released.
Australia's
foreign
minister Bob
Carr is
already in
town, wining
and dining;
Finland is
holding a
reception
next, with
minister Erkki
Tuomioja
working it.
Bags of dried
blueberries
are being
prepared for
distribution
on Thursday,
following the
blueberry
pie chocolate
bars earlier
handed out,
with Martti
Ahtisaari's
face on them.
But
remember:
Canada tried
with maple
syrup...
Cambodia,
competing
with South
Korea and
Bhutan for a
single Asian
seat, is "in
mourning" for
former King
Sihanook, as
the country's
representative
Hor
Nam Bora
put it to
Inner City
Press. There
was
much buzz
about his
interview
with Inner
City Press
last week.
Will a
candid
presentation
of a country's
case help it?
Watch this
site.
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