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At UN, Zim Sanctions Killed by Double Veto, Colonialism
Charged, Sudan and ICC Foreshadowed: Who Is Isolating Whom?
Byline: Matthew Russell Lee of
Inner City Press at the UN: News Analysis
UNITED NATIONS,
July 11 -- Past 4 p.m. on Friday,
the Security Council went into an open meeting on Zimbabwe. On his way
in,
Chinese Ambassador Wang said, "It is extremely difficult for China,"
which to many reporters meant that China would veto the sanctions
resolution.
But then the vote was called for. Zimbabwe spoke first, accusing the UK
of
hounding its former colony in forums from the Human Rights Council to
the
Commonwealth to "propaganda" media.
In the run
up to the meeting, the Johannesburg Star's intrepid correspondent
reported that
South Africa offered a compromise, to threaten sanctions in 30 or 60
days, in
the form of a Presidential Statement. But such a change would preclude
a vote
on Friday. So the call to the formal meeting, which Inner City Press
ran to
observe from the nearly-empty balcony seats, left many surprised.
5:31 p.m. --
Indonesia abstained, and five voted against:
Vietnam, Libya, South Africa and Russia and China, the latter two with
veto
power. When their arms went up to vote no, many were surprised. But the
proponents must have known, from their consultations earlier on Friday.
So why did they still call it for a vote? A lone veto-er, as the U.S.
has sometimes been, can be described as isolated. But to have a partner
in the veto, and three other no's and an abstention, is hardly
isolation.
For now we add: if
a resolution were proposed to suspend an ICC indictment of Sudan's
president, it would face vetoes in reverse...
Other
updates below.
Ambassadors of South Africa and Zimbabwe, out of focus
4:29 --
South Africa says it will vote "no" on Zim
resolution, based
on AU position.
4:38 -- Libya says
leave it to regional groups,
this resolution violates Zimbabwe's sovereignty. Will vote no. But here
comes Burkina-Faso...
4:42 -- Burkina-Faso
says, based on arms embargo,
it will "lend its support" to this draft resolution. Rejects
Libya's argument that the resolution
would embold MDC and make them not negotiate.
4:47 -- Indonesia says
applying sanctions at this
stage would undermine ongoing mediation, and so will abstain
4:50 -- Vietnam says it
is not a threat to
international peace and security, praises South African president
"McBeki" and his mediation
5:31 p.m. -- Indonesia
abstained, and five voted against:
Vietnam, Libya, South Africa and Russia and China, the latter two with
veto
power. So the resolution failed. Afterwards French Ambassador
Jean-Maurice
Ripert, when asked if the proponents miscalculated by calling the vote,
pointed
out that there were 9 votes for -- including, notably, Burkina-Faso --
and that
the EU can continue with its own moves against Zimbabwe.
Inner City
Press asked
about South Africa's statement that Bernard Kouchner's statement that
only a
government led by the MDC would be legitimate worked against passage of
the
resolution. Ripert bristled, saying he was only answering so Inner City
Press
wouldn't call him unresponsive, and pointing to a July 4 statement
referring to
the March vote in Zimbabwe. Then he left. Video here,
at end.
But the Kouchner
quote, by Agence France Presse,
was that "the government is illegitimate if it isn't led by opposition
leader Mr Tsvangirai."
Ambassador Wang
spoke on Zimbabwe, and then answered a question from Inner City Press
about Darfur and the International Criminal Court. To be continued.
Watch this
site. And this --
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