At
UN,
As UK's
Morrison Wins
ICC Seat,
Cathala Stayed
In, Then Out,
Nigerian Won,
Press Excluded
By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
December 16,
updated below
-- As the International
Criminal
Court's
Assembly of
State Parties
left
unresolved the
scandal of
countries
trading votes
with
candidates
found
unqualified,
on Friday
afternoon
UK candidate
Howard
Morrison was
elected to the
fifth of sixth
open
seats with 72
votes.
Bruno
Cathala of
France, which
offered to
trade votes
with a now
withdrawn
unqualified
candidate's
country,
still refused
to drop out.
The former ICC
registar, he
got 45, less
than
the Nigerian
candidate's 59
votes but
still denying
him, and
Africa,
the sixth and
final seat.
Just
as the results
were being
read out,
Inner City
Press was
summarily
ordered to
leave
the room, from
which it has
reported the
vote counts
and lobbying
for
the last three
days. The
Director of
the Assembly
of State
Parties,
Renan
Villacis, told
Inner City
Press to
leave,
claiming that
the
meeting was
closed.
Inner
City Press
pointed out
that the
electronic
sign at the
door did not
say
"closed," as
happens at the
UN when
meetings are
closed.
ASP sign
didn't say
closed but Villacis
did.
Ex-registrar
not shown (c)
MRLee
Additionally,
the back of
the room was
filled with
non-governmental
organizations
-- their right
to be present
should be
preserved, but
there is no
rationale for
the press to
be singled
out. It is
also
entirely
pointless, as
the vote
counts have
been Tweeted
by the NGOs
and others in
real time. The
ICC and its
Assembly of
State Parties
must do
better.
Even
in front of
the Security
Council Friday
morning,
numerous
Permanent
Representatives
opined that
France and
Cathala should
drop out. One
said, "Now
France is
blocking
Africa?" Watch
this site.
Update:
Mauritius then
Cathala of
France
withdrew.
Diplomats
exiting from
Conference
Room from
which the ASP
Director
excluded the
Press said the
Nigerian
candidate got
102 votes and
the sixth and
final
judgeship at
the ICC. There
is a need for
reform - watch
this site.
, 
