Inner City Press -- Investigative Reporting From the Inner City to Wall Street to the United Nations

At UN, Ban Poised to Announce for 2d Term on June 6, Amid Critiques & IMF Intrigue

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, June 3 -- After months of no-comments from UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon about seeking a second term, on Friday things heated up. A Security Council member's spokesman told Inner City Press to “be on the look-out early next week,” then specified that Ban would announce his intention on June 6.

  After Ban's office announced he will hold a press conference at 11:30 on Monday, June 6, another delegate told Inner City Press that an Asian Group breakfast is being organized for that morning, and said it was for Ban to announce.

  A Chinese diplomat told Inner City Press that his country firmly believes that the top position in the UN for the next five years belongs to Asia -- and that the next head of the International Monetary Fund should come from the developing world.

  Some are surprised that Ban would announce while the nomination process to replace Dominique Strauss Kahn at the IMF is still open. If that post goes to an Asian, from China or much less likely a South Korean, that would change Ban's claim to a second term.

  Since the IMF nomination process ends on June 10, and the winner will be named on June 30 or before, “what's the sudden rush?” a delegate asked Inner City Press.

Ban with Zoellick & DSK: Lipsky & musical chairs not shown

   There are critiques of Ban Ki-moon circulating, among them his fast speaking out against any aid flotillas to Gaza, his inaction on his own Panel of Experts' report on war crimes in Sri Lanka and more general failure to speak out on human rights and media freedom (raised by the Committee to Protect Journalists, HRW and others)and a general lack of reform and pizazz.

  Perhaps this explains the rush, before these various issues develop further. Watch this site.