Maravi

(NEWZIMBABWE) Mugabe sounds populist notes at UN

Mugabe sounds populist notes at UN
by AFP/Staff Reporter
25/09/2010 00:00:00

PRESIDENT Robert Mugabe has demanded that Africa get permanent representation on the United Nations Security Council. Mugabe told the UN General Assembly on Friday that the continent should be given two permanent seats, which bring the power of veto over resolutions, on the body.

"It is completely unacceptable that Africa remains the only continent without permanent representation in the council. That historical injustice must be corrected," he said.

"We therefore urge member states, including those that have vested interests in maintaining the status quo, to give due and fair consideration to Africa's legitimate demand for two permanent seats, with full powers of veto, plus two additional non-permanent seats.

"Africa's plea for justice cannot continue to be ignored. We all have an obligation to make the council more representative, more democratic and more accountable."

The Security Council currently has just five permanent members - the US, Britain, France, China and Russia. Ten other members are elected for two-year terms by the General Assembly, with five replaced every year.

The non-permanent members are chosen by regional groups before being confirmed by the assembly. The African bloc chooses three members; the Latin America and the Caribbean, Asian, and Western European and Others blocs choose two members each; and the Eastern European bloc chooses one member. One delegate from an "Arab country" is chosen alternately from the Asian or African bloc.

Other nations - including Japan, Sierra Leone, Cameroon and Democratic Republic of Congo - have also used the UN General Assembly gathering this week to call for reform of the Security Council.

"No one continent should have an exclusive monopoly over membership of the Security Council. There is no justification for a discriminatory allocation of seats, nor can we debate and endlessly ignore the realities of our rapidly changing global circumstances," Ernest Bai Koroma, Sierra Leone's president, said on Thursday.

Mugabe condemned Western nations on the Security Council as "hypocrites" for wanting to maintain the status quo.

"Why are the developed Western countries, especially those permanent members with the veto, resisting the democratisation of the United Nations organs, especially the Security Council?

"Aren't they the ones who talk glibly about democracy in regard to our developing countries. Or are they sanctimonious hypocrites whose actions contradict their sermons to us?"

Mugabe has come under fire from Western nations over his actions at home. The European Union and the US have imposed financial sanctions on the president and dozens of associates for nearly a decade since a violent re-election campaign.

Mugabe called for an end to sanctions on Zimbabwe in his speech on Friday.

"The people of Zimbabwe should, like every other sovereign state, be left to freely chart their own destiny," he said.
Mugabe also took up populist themes – calling for an end on “ruinous” United States sanctions against Cuba, and demanding that Israel respects UN resolutions on Palestine.

“Every year, this august body adopts a resolution on ending the economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed by the United States on Cuba. To this date, that resolution has gone unheeded by the US and the result has been the continued suffering of the people of Cuba,” Mugabe said.

“Zimbabwe joins the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) and other well-meaning countries which call for the immediate lifting of this ruinous embargo.”

Zimbabwe, he said, has “concerns” on the continued stalemate in the Middle East peace process.

He added: “It is unacceptable that decades on, peace continues to elude that part of the world. We call upon all parties involved, particularly Israel, to respect the relevant resolutions passed by the United Nations.

“It is our sincere hope that current negotiations underway will be inclusive and eventually lead to the cherished goal of a sovereign state of Palestine, thus ending decades of suffering for the Palestinian people.”

Labels: ROBERT MUGABE, SECURITY COUNCIL, UN

posted by MrK @ 4:21 AM