UNITED
NATIONS,
October 17 --
While today's
UN says it
believes in
freedom of
speech,
including
political
speech, and
non
interference
in the
internal
politics of
states, its
approach is
selective.
On
October 16,
Secretary
General Ban
Ki-moon
"rejected
remarks made
by former
President of
Madagascar,
Marc
Ravalomanana,
challenging
the legitimacy
of his
country's
democratic
institutions."
On
October 17,
Inner City
Press asked
Ban's
spokesman
Stephane
Dujarric if
Ban was aware
that
Ravalomanana
has been
arrested, his
family banned
from traveling
to the
capital, while
his statement
has a
colorable
basis in fact
and history. Video here and embedded below.
Mightn't Andry
"DJ"
Rajoelina’s
declaration of
support for
Hery
Rajaonarimampianina
in November
2013 and his
campaigning
for
Rajaonarimampianina
constitute a
violation of
the SADC
Road-map?
Why from afar
condemn the
free speech
questioning of
the current
government of
Madagascar
full
legitimacy?
Dujarric
simply
reiterated the
statement, not
responding on
the arrest or
travel ban,
saying there
might be a
further
answer. But by
close of
business there
was none. This
is today's UN.
Back on May
13, 2013, amid
growing
controversy in
and about
Madagascar, at
the UN noon
briefing,
Inner City
Press asked
Secretary
General Ban
Ki-moon's
then-spokesman
Martin
Nesirky:
Inner
City Press: On
the Madagascar
question, is,
is, there has
been since I
last asked
this, the SADC
(Southern
African
Development
Community) has
come out and
said that
three
candidates,
they are
encouraged to
withdraw their
candidacies,
saying they
are not
consistent
with the road
map. This is
Mr. [Andry]
Rajoelina,
also Lalao
Ravalomanana
and another
candidate. And
so, one, I
wanted to know
if there is a
UN response to
that, but two,
since Ms.
Ravalomanana
is being
barred for
having been
out of the
country, and
this was a
forced exile
by the
Government, I
am wondering
whether the UN
has any view
on forced
exile, that
being used as
a basis to bar
a candidate
from running.
Spokesperson
Nesirky:
We can check
for you on
that, Matthew.
I don’t have
anything right
now.
But it
was not until
Wednesday, 47
hours after
the question,
that a
response
arrived. But
the UN
response did,
deferring to
SADC, take or
adopt a
position:
Subject:
Your
question on
Madagascar
From: UN
Spokesperson -
Do Not Reply
[at] un.org
Date: Wed, May
15, 2013 at
11:13 AM
To:
Matthew.Lee
[at]
innercitypress.com
In
response to
your questions
at the noon
briefing
concerning
Madagascar,
the
Spokesperson
can say the
following:
The
United Nations
is supporting
the Southern
African
Development
Community's
(SADC's)
mediation
efforts to
ensure a
peaceful
transition in
Madagascar,
and what SADC
has urged is
that President
Rajoelina, the
former first
lady, Lalao
Ravalomanana,
and former
President
Didier
Ratsiraka all
consider
withdrawing
their
candidatures
to ensure the
peaceful
conduct of the
elections and
stability in
Madagascar.
With
this answer,
the UN takes a
position if
only
indirectly on
forced exile:
it's fine, or
at least can
legitimately
be used, in
the UN's view,
to encourage a
candidate to
withdrawn.
Now on May 20,
Ban Ki-moon
has put out
this
statement: