Inner City Press: Investigative Reporting from the United Nations

UN's Ban Takes Note of Grenade-Scarred One Party Election in Burundi, Mutineer Taking Power in Guinea-Bissau

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, June 30 -- When an election on which the UN has spent years ends up with a single candidate and the opponent in hiding, and polling's marked with the deadly tossing of grenades, what does Secretary General Ban Ki-moon do? He “takes note” of the one party election, in this case in Burundi. But what does this mean?

On June 28, after Ban praised the referendum in Kyrgyzstan that was marked by ethnic cleansing then declined to take questions on his praise, Inner City Press asked his spokesman Martin Nesirky if Ban would also praise Burundi. We'll have something tomorrow, Nesirky said.

And indeed he did. In the opening of the June 29 noon briefing, Nesirky provided updates on two outstanding questions:

Yesterday I was asked about Burundi. The Secretary-General takes note of the presidential election that took place on 28 June. In regard to the rest of the electoral cycle, the Secretary-General calls on all Burundians, and their political parties, to continue settling their disputes through peaceful means and an inclusive dialogue, and he urges them to persist in consolidating national cohesion and their hard-won peace.

I was also asked yesterday about the appointment of a new Chief of Staff in Guinea-Bissau. The United Nations takes note of the appointment of Major-General Antonio N’djai as the new Chief of General Staff of the Armed Forces of Guinea-Bissau. The Special Representative of the Secretary-General in Guinea-Bissau, Joseph Mutaboba, is consulting national and international stakeholders on the way forward, particularly with respect to security-sector reform, addressing impunity, restoring respect for the rule of law and strengthening democratic governance. Our goal is to secure the cooperation of all concerned, including the military leadership, in the continued pursuit of our peacebuilding mission, which includes as a central feature the introduction of vital reforms in the security sector.

It goes without saying that a one party election is far less than ideal. In Guinea-Bissau, the UN had expressed concern that the mutineer might be rewarded with a government post. But then when it happened, the UN merely “took note.” And so Inner City Press asked Nesirky:

Inner City Press: I just wanted to follow up on these two announcements that you made on Burundi and Guinea-Bissau. In the Burundi election, there was only one candidate, and since then grenades have been thrown at the Electoral Commission, killing two people. You’re saying Ban Ki-moon takes note of it. What does that mean?

Spokesperson Nesirky: I said he took note of the presidential election.

Inner City Press: Is that some kind — “taking note” means he doesn’t view a one candidate’s election positively, or he views the throwing of grenades as unhelpful? What is he taking note of?

UN's Ban takes note of one party election in Burundi, grenade attacks not shown

Spokesperson: Of the presidential election that took place on 28 June. And what it also says — I can repeat it for you — is that he calls on all Burundians and their political parties to continue settling their disputes through peaceful means and inclusive dialogue; peaceful means and inclusive dialogue. And that’s a message that he took directly to the people, including the President, when he visited Bujumbura earlier this month.

Inner City Press: I was just wondering, maybe if you could get [inaudible] like at the Security Council, like taking note. Is he troubled by it? Is he concerned by it? Is he just aware of it? I just want, if you could give…

Spokesperson: Well, for now it says what it says, Matthew. It says what it says. There may be more coming from the Mission subsequently, but that’s what we’re saying at the moment. And importantly, he stressed on the spot, when he was there in Bujumbura, and he’s saying it again now, through me, as he is on his way to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, that this is a process after a conflict, and there needs to be some persistence here to work to consolidate national cohesion. No one is saying that they’re there yet. But they need to push ahead with that. And in doing so, they need to be as inclusive as possible. Okay, and you want to add something on Guinea-Bissau, did you say?

Inner City Press: No, I think it’s just you used exactly the same phrase, and it seems like, I think the question you were asked yesterday is whether the UN, which had expressed concern about this individual getting the post, is concerned now that the person has gotten the post. And I guess, I put the two together, maybe “taking note” means there is concern. I just wasn’t sure.

Spokesperson: Well, it’s not for me to try to parse or interpret the wording. I think, probably, I’d have to leave that to you.

So how should we interpret Ban's mere "taking note" of this UN's inability to positively impact even Burundi and Guinea Bissau? Watch this site.

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UN Hides Behind Russian After Failing to Speak Up for Ethnic Uzbeks on Kyrgyz Constitutional Cleansing

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, June 29 -- With the UN slavishly supporting a Kyrgyz Constitutional referendum from which the Uzbek minority was disproportionately excluded due to ethnic cleansing, it has chosen to hide behind Russian. Not the Russian government, which like the US backed the flawed referendum to defend its Kyrgyz base, but the Russian language.

Last week, Inner City Press twice asked the UN to confirm that the constitution would outlaw the formation of ethnicity based parties: that is, any Uzbek party. Only after a third request on June 28 did the UN respond, with this:

Further to your exchange with Martin at the Noon Briefing, just wanted to help point you to the relevant part of what you'd asked about...

The reference you seek is under Article 4., point 4.3:

4. В Кыргызской Республике запрещается:
.............
3) создание политических партий на религиозной, этнической основе, преследование религиозными объединениями политических целей;

I realize this is in Russian but am sending in case it's of any help to you.

Now it seems strange that the UN, sometimes called translation central, could or would not provide an English version of this single line of Russian, requested three times in a week. In fact, the UN provided Inner City Press with a translation of other material it had not requested. But when Inner City Press sought among its network a translation of what the UN provided only in Russian, this was the result:

4. In the Kyrgyz Republic it is forbidden:

3) to create political parties on the basis of religion or ethnicity, or on any attempt to, by religious gatherings or parties, achieve political goals.

So the answer was and is yes, the UN backed a referendum from which the Uzbek minority was disproportionately excluded on a constitution which will now bar the Uzbeks from organizing to defend themselves.

UN's Ban on April 8, ethnic and Constitutional cleansing not shown

On June 28 Inner City Press also asked:

Inner City Press: I heard the statement both by Mr. [Miroslav] Jenca and then reiterated by the Secretary-General this morning about the referendum in Kyrgyzstan. I was wanting to ask: what is the UN’s estimate of the turnout of ethnic Uzbeks? There are some reports that, for example in the border town of Suretash, only a hundred to 4,000 people were able to vote. So, I’m just wondering, what does the UN statement mean when compared to such low turnout numbers reported for ethnic Uzbeks?

Spokesperson Nesirky: Well, reported by whom?

Inner City Press: Associated Press.

Spokesperson: Right. Well, there are a number of things here. First of all, the UN is not observing, and the UN is not counting votes or voters.

Inner City Press: Then why are they praising?

Spokesperson: Let me finish, first of all, to try to answer your question. First of all, there is the Central Election Commission. That’s the body which is compiling the figures. So, the figures on turnout will be coming from the Central Election Commission. And I checked their website before I came here; it’s in Kyrgyz and Russian, and there are very detailed figures by each province or district showing the turnout and absolute figures in each case. And of course, overall figures. And that’s the first thing. So I would encourage you to take a look at that. And the second thing is, perhaps more helpfully for you in English, as well as Kyrgyz and Russian; the OSCE’s [Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe’s] office for democratic institutions and human rights has put out a fairly detailed overview in a statement of its preliminary findings and conclusions. This is, as I said, this is preliminary findings, as you might expect, given this is less than 24 hours after the vote itself. But they are quite detailed, and as Mr. Jenca and the Secretary-General have said, they have taken note, and the Special Representative of the Secretary-General has taken note of this preliminary assessment by the OSCE and others where it’s clear that there were some shortcomings. That’s clear. That’s obvious. But what they believe is, and this is the assessment that this was largely transparent. And the turnout; again, it’s for the Central Election Commission, firstly, to give those figures. The turnout that seems to be evident, not only from the Central Election Commission in concrete numbers, but also from the more anecdotal evidence, if you like, of the international observer, that there were long-term observers that would tend to suggest that this was a sizeable turnout. And most importantly, that it was peaceful. There weren’t any violent incidents.

Inner City Press: Just a quick follow-up. If these were the two bases for the UN’s praise of the election, does the Central Election Commission — apparently you’ve read them in Russian — are these turnout numbers done by ethnicity or simply by geography?

Spokesperson: Not by ethnicity. It’s done by geography; by the region. Yeah.

Inner City Press: Does the UN have a particular concern or, I don’t know, maybe “duty” is the wrong word, to the ethnic Uzbeks who were being targeted by violence, left the country, many of them had their ID cards ripped up — is that something, does this statement today mean that they feel, that the UN feels, that the turnout and the ability to vote of the ethnic Uzbeks of southern Kyrgyzstan was sufficient, from the UN’s point of view?

Spokesperson: What we’ve said is that it really does demonstrate the aspiration of the people of Kyrgyzstan for peace and stability and democracy. That’s what we’ve said. That’s the first thing. The second thing is that we’re not suggesting that this is the end of the story, and that somehow this is perfect. It was not. There is work to be done, and the United Nations will continue to provide the technical support that’s required, not least by the Central Election Commission, so that they can improve further and not least so that when we get to the parliamentary elections at the end of this year, they will be in better shape to ensure that it’s as inclusive as possible.

Inner City Press: One last one on this, and thanks a lot. I think I had asked last week whether you could confirm what a UN official had told me — which is that the Constitution that was voted on and approved over the weekend on Sunday outlaws political parties based on ethnicity. And if so, that’s why I guess I’d be concerned, I’m wondering if the UN sees any connection between a group being targeted by violence, probably if the Associated Press can be believed, having a lower turnout than other groups and, therefore, in the future being prohibited from organizing around, I guess to protect their rights on the basis of their minority status. Were you able to confirm that that is in the Constitution?

Spokesperson: Not personally. But I am sure that my colleagues in DPA [Department for Political Affairs] can help me with that, and also my colleagues in Bishkek.

And then they gave it only in Russian...

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At UN, Ban Praises Kyrgyz Vote But Takes No Question on Low Uzbek Turn Out

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, June 28 -- Capping a month of weak UN action on ethnic cleansing in Kyrgystan, Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Monday morning read out a statement to the Press lauding a high voter turn out over the weekend on the Constitution, which outlaws ethnicity based political parties.

Inner City Press began to ask Ban a question, for Ban's and the UN's estimate of turn out for the targeted ethnic Uzbek group. We can give you information at the noon briefing, Ban's spokesman Martin Nesirky cut in. Ban smiled.

In the Kyrgyz border town of Suratash, to which ethnic Uzbeks fled to escape violence and targeted rape, only 100 of 4000 people were able to vote on the constitution, according to the Associated Press. How can the Ban and the UN be praising such a turn out, and then refusing to take questions? To some it smacks of propaganda.

Ethnic Uzbeks on the move, right to vote and UN answers not shown

Nesirky chose only three questions for Ban to take, doing so in such a way that Kyrgystan was unlikely to come up. The first question was on Israel and Palestine; the next was on Iran. The last question was on Haiti. All three were high diplomacy questions, none implicating the UN and the decisions it makes.

Now Ban flies off to the Congo, saying he will express the world's solidarity with the Congolese people on the 50th anniversary of the DRC's independence. What about the pending nepotism report against Ban's envoy to the Congo, Alan Doss? Watch this site.

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With Uzbeks Disenfranchised, UN Still Supports June 27 Kyrgyz Referendum: Security 1, Legitimacy 0

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, June 23 -- In the run up to the Kyrgyz constitutional referendum still scheduled for June 27, the intentional disenfranchisement of ethnic Uzbeks becomes ever more clear.

Not only will those who fled the country not be able to vote -- many of those remaining have had their passports and other identity documents burned or otherwise destroyed.

They will not be allowed to vote, on a constitution which would outlaw any ethnic Uzbek based political party.

Nevertheless, the UN has not retracted its envoy Miroslav Jenca's statement that the referendum “must” go forward on June 27.

That the US and Russia, both of which have bases in Kyrgyzstan, would want to push through anything to make the de facto government there appear more legitimate is not surprising.

But isn't the UN supposed to stand against ethnic cleansing, and disenfranchisement based on ethnic cleansing?

Uzbeks flee Osh on bus, ability to vote June 27 not shown

On June 22, Inner City Press asked UN spokesman Martin Nesirky:

Inner City Press: you said in one of your readouts about the difficulty of delivering humanitarian aid because of the barricades. But some are saying that in fact, I mean, the Uzbek community put up barricades because people were coming into the community and burning their houses and killing them, and committing other atrocities. What’s been the UN’s position on the involuntary dismantling of the barricades, particularly in light of a report today that troops, Kyrgyz troops, beat and arrested ethnic Uzbek men in a neighbourhood of Osh. Is that something the UN is concerned about — the removal of barricades and increased violence?

Spokesperson Nesirky: We remain concerned about the tensions that there are in Osh, particularly in Osh, and elsewhere in the south of Kyrgyzstan. And we’re obviously concerned, and the Secretary-General himself is following closely the reports of some renewed violence and bloodshed. On the barricades, Miroslav Jenc(a, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General, has been in Osh, and has been speaking to security officials and other local officials and also to local people. And he’s fully aware of the sensitivities that there are amongst the ethnic Uzbek population, and about the concerns that they have. And I know that he’s been speaking to the authorities there precisely because of those concerns.

Inner City Press: Also on Kyrgyzstan, yesterday I was informed by a well-placed person that the President of Uzbekistan, Islam Karimov, has informed the UN and Kyrgyz authorities that there can be no polling in the refugee camps that have been established for people that fled across the border. I wonder, one, if you can just, I mean, I think this is true, but whether you can either now, or later today, confirm the UN’s understanding. And then if you do confirm it, explain how the UN can support an election that will, will you know, absolutely, or formally disenfranchise at least 80,000 people based on what many people see as ethnic cleansing.

Spokesperson: First of all, Mr. Jenc(a made clear in that audio briefing on Friday that the question of holding the referendum is one for the authorities of Kyrgyzstan. That’s the first thing. The second is that there are obvious concerns about people who are not in a position to vote. And I know that UN officials and others, including from the OSCE [Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe] and the European Union, are talking to the authorities of the interim government of Kyrgyzstan about how one handles that. I will come back to you with some more details particularly on that, the part of the question about the Uzbek President having communicated with the UN about polling on his territory.

Inner City Press: And just one follow up on that, because I think there is a Bloomberg or Business Week story in which Mr. Jenc(a is quoted as saying the referendum must go forward. Has there been a change in his position since he said that, or was he misquoted when he said that?

Spokesperson: Well, you heard what Mr. Jenc(a said here, or in this, by audio here on Friday. It’s for the Kyrgyz authorities to decide on that. There are many factors that are involved; the balance of legitimacy versus security.

For now, Security 1, Legitimacy 0...

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These reports are usually also available through Google News and on Lexis-Nexis.

Click here for a Reuters AlertNet piece by this correspondent about Uganda's Lord's Resistance Army. Click here for an earlier Reuters AlertNet piece about the Somali National Reconciliation Congress, and the UN's $200,000 contribution from an undefined trust fund. Video Analysis here

Other, earlier Inner City Press are listed here, and some are available in the ProQuest service, and now on Lexis-Nexis.

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