After
DSK Arrest, Theory of Replacing Ban, US Taking IMF, China WB Revived
By
Matthew
Russell Lee, News Analysis
UNITED
NATIONS,
May 18 -- The arrest for sex
crimes of International
Monetary Fund managing director Dominique Strauss Kahn, and his
interim replacement by this American deputy John Lipsky, have
together revived
a story exclusively reported by Inner City Press in
2009.
Then,
two senior
advisers to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon told Inner City Press of
worries
that the US would take over the top spot at the IMF and give
the World Bank to China, which in turn would not insist that the UN
Secretary General term beginning in 2012 go to an Asian.
Under
that theory,
if Europe lost the IMF -- as seems even more possible now -- and
China got a top Bretton Woods institution spot, the Europeans could
make a play for the 2012 UN term.
Until
Strauss
Kahn's arrest, and now US Treasury Secretary Geithner's call that a
formal “interim” replacement be named, quite possibly Lipsky,
those close to Ban like South
Korea's Permanent Representative to the
UN were bragging that a second term for Ban was in the bag.
Now,
at least
until the IMF situation is resolved, Team Ban's 2009 nightmare
scenario is suddenly closer to coming into play.
Ban with Zoellick & DSK: Lipsky & musical chairs not shown
Eastern
Europeans
candidates were already circling to succeed Ban, albeit in 2016,
among them Srgjan Kerim, Jan Kubis and even Navi Pillay's deputy Ivan
Simonovic.
Now
Western
Europeans may renew interest, if Europe loses the IMF. Staffan de
Mistura is said by his staff to be interested. But surely there are
others. Watch this site.
* * *
At
UN,
As
South Korea Brags of 2d Term for Ban, Press
Excluded
By
Matthew
Russell
Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
March
4 -- With UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon still not
having come out and said he is seeking a second term, he spoke on
March 4 to the Group of 77.
Inner
City Press went to cover the
meeting but was told it was closed. Looking through the glass windows
into the conference room, UN Photo was visible inside taking pictures
of this exercise in access if not accountability.
But
when Inner City
Press stood in the hall, a UN Security guard said this was not
allowed, and to leave.
Sources
exiting
the
meeting said for example that the Permanent Representative of
Egypt, Maged Abdelaziz, speaking on behalf of the Non Aligned
Movement, complained of one million Egyptians trapped inside of
Libya. There were speeches by India, China, Brazil, Ecuador and
Morocco.
A
Permanent
Representative nonplussed by the prospect of a second term of Ban
emerged from the meeting shaking his head. Earlier in the week he had
complained, why is there not an alternative candidate?
The
day previous,
the Yonhap newspaper ran quotes from South Korea's Permanent
Representative Park in-kook saying that there is already a consensus,
“tacit approval,” for a second term for Ban.
Ban through a glass darkly, photo through window of
screen (c)MRLee
Inner
City Press at
the March 3 noon briefing asked Ban's spokesman Martin Nesirky:
Inner
City
Press:
there was this interview that appeared in Yonhap with the
South Korean Permanent Representative to the UN, Park In-kook, in
which he says — the headline is “UN tacitly agrees to reappoint
Ban for second term” — and I just wonder, what does the
Secretariat think of the article? It describes; I have also heard
yesterday that there is some idea that a vote would be taken as early
as June. I understand that this is a quote by Park In-kook, but does
the Secretariat have any response to this article? Is it aware of it
and does it think it is an accurate description of the state of play?
Spokesperson
Nesirky:
I
think you can take it as right that we are aware of the
article, Matthew. And the position has been stated many times on
this question and I don’t propose to repeat it now. That has not
changed.
Inner
City
Press:
Are they writing; are you writing to Yonhap to… do you
like the, I guess I am saying, well, I guess it’s just his
assessment…
Spokesperson:
First
of all, it’s not a question of whether we like an article or
not. There are many, many articles out there, Matthew, and I don’t
think that we would be responding and writing to the esteemed authors
of each article. I don’t think that’s necessary; do you?
Inner
City
Press:
Just one last thing on this because there were some,
there were previous quotes in this South Korean press by senior, it
was called “senior Ban official”, Administration officials,
saying please don’t list him as a candidate in South Korea; it’s
not official, and that it’s not helpful. And this was recorded. So,
there does seem to be some interplay. I just wanted to know…?
Spokesperson
Nesirky:
I
am not quite sure where you are going with this, Matthew,
but I think we have made the position clear any number of times —
the Secretary-General personally, and me — and I don’t think that
I need to repeat it here and now, all right.
But
what is clear?
Sources, including those unimpressed with Mr. Ban, say a move is
afoot to have a fast vote to re-elect him as early as June 2011. But
it is already March, and he has not announced. The goal seems to be
to allow as little time as possible between Ban's announcement and a
vote, having the effect of making it less likely of any other
candidate emerging. We'll see.
* * *
, 
