Malvides
Coup
Called "Forced
Constitutional
Change" in UN
Council,
Sources Say,
Echoing Ban,
DC, India
By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
February 10, updated
-- When the
coup in
Maldives was
described by
UN
Secretary
General Ban
Ki-moon as a
"resignation"
and
"handover of
power, which
has been
announced as a
constitutional
step," some
were
mystified.
Inner
City Press
on February 8
and 9 asked
Ban's
spokesman
Martin Nesirky
if Ban
wanted to
amend his
statement,
once President
Mohamed
Nasheed said
he was forced
to resign at
gunpoint.
Inner City
Press also
asked
Nesirky to
confirm that
Mohammed
Waheed Hassan
was, as
reported, a
former UN
system
employee.
Since
another
former UN
official ran
Kyrgyzstan
last year,
some joked
that perhaps
Ban was simply
lending his
support to
increased UN
relevance,
even if
through coup
d'etat.
But
soon the US,
too, came out
in favor of
the coup.
Close
Ban-watchers
document the
congruence
between the
statements of
Washington
then Ban
Ki-moon. But
in this case,
Ban spoke
first.
Ban's
head of
political
affairs Lynn
Pascoe had
Maldives on
his agenda to
brief the
Security
Council on
Friday
morning.
Pascoe is
scheduled to
leave and
be replaced,
Inner City
Press has
reported, by
an Obama
administration
nominee,
probably
former UN
official and
current
Homeland
Security
deputy Jane
Holl Lute.
So
the US is in
the UN, but in
this case the
UN came about
before the US
in support
of the
Maldives coup
d'etat.
(c) UN Photo
VP and soon to
be coup leader
Waheed at UN
in Sept 2011,
Ban not shown
A
Permanent
Representative
coming out of
Pascoe's
briefing told
Inner City
Press Maldives
was
describedin
the
consultations
as a "forced
constitutional
change."
Update:
Council
sources tell
Inner City
Press that
India, in
consultations,
has taken the
same position
-- and that
France, out of
turn, brought
up the Monday
General
Assembly
session on
Syria first
reported by
Inner City
Pres last
night.
From UN's
February 8
transcript:
Inner
City
Press: On,
about the
Maldives.
Things are now
supporters of
the
former
President have
started
seizing some
police
stations. But
it
was described
here, as a
resignation
and an
appointment
and a
handover of
power. And now
the
individuals
say, the
President,
Nasheed, said
that he was
forced out at
gunpoint, and
he would like
his successor,
who he
attributes
that to, to
also step
down. And I
understand
that his
successor,
Waheed Hassan,
was actually a
UN
system
employee at
one point,
just for what
it’s worth. I
am
wondering, is
there any
update to the
Secretary-General’s
statement
that he made
yesterday, in
light of that
it really,
apparently,
wasn’t a
resignation,
but in fact it
seemed to be
an armed coup
by
a former UN
system
official.
Spokesperson
Nesirky:
I think if you
look at the
statement
carefully,
what it
said was that
the
Secretary-General
expresses his
strong hope
that
this handover
of power,
which has been
announced as a
constitutional
step to avoid
further
violence and
instability,
will lead to
the
peaceful
resolution of
the political
crisis that
has polarized
the
country in
recent months.
And he calls
on all
Maldivians to
refrain
from violence.
He still does.
Yes, we have
seen the
reports of
violence, and
he also
continues to
encourage them
to engage
constructively
in addressing
the challenges
that the
country faces.
And also, as
we already
announced, the
Assistant
Secretary-General
for Political
Affairs, Oscar
Fernández-Taranco,
is still
planning to
visit the
Maldives this
week.
Inner
City
Press: I just…
you know, I
absolutely… I…
I mean, I did…
I am looking
at it right
now, I am just
wondering, it
is the first…
it’s the top
paragraph that
I am looking
at where it
says
“resignation”.
Is it now, or
does it remain
the UN
position that
this was a
resignation,
or was the man
forced to
resign at gun
point? Is that
a resignation?
Spokesperson:
Well, do I
have to read
that out as
well, Matthew?
Inner
City
Press: No, no,
I am just
wondering, is
there an
update?
Spokesperson:
It says “the
Secretary-General
has learned of
the
resignation”.
I mean, if we
want to sit
here and parse
statements, we
can happily
do that. But
it says “has
learned of the
resignation”,
and it
says “which
has been
announced as a
constitutional
step”.
Clearly,
events are
unfolding, and
that’s one
reason why it
is
particularly
timely that
Assistant
Secretary-General
Fernández-Taranco
is going to
visit the
Maldives. Next
question?
Then, from the
UN's
February 9
transcript:
Inner
City
Press: I want
to ask you
about again
the Maldives,
it is
becoming more
and more clear
that it seems
to be either a
coup the
former
President,
there has now
been an arrest
warrant has
been
issued for him
and some are
saying that
the UN
statement sort
of
seemed to give
tacit approval
to the
transfer of
power. I’m
just
wondering if
you have any
new statement
now that the
person who was
forced to
resign at
gunpoint has
been
threatened
with arrest.
Spokesperson
Nesirky:
Well, the
first thing is
the
Secretary-General
continues to
call on
everyone there
to refrain
from violence
and engage
constructively
in addressing
the challenges
the country is
facing. And
that was in
the statement
that was
issued. The
Assistant
Secretary-General,
as I have also
mentioned
already, for
Political
Affairs, Oscar
Fernández-Taranco,
should be
arriving
shortly in the
Maldives. And
we obviously
continue to
follow the
situation
closely. And
we are
awaiting Mr.
Fernández-Taranco’s
arrival and
his
initial
assessments
before we say
anything
further. And
as soon as I
have something
further, I’ll
let you know.
Inner
City
Press: What
about the idea
of arresting
the person who
was
President two
days ago? I
mean,
[inaudible]…
Spokesperson:
Just listen to
what I…
Inner
City
Press:
[inaudible]
…even while he
is flying, it
seems like is
that…
Spokesperson:
Just listen to
what I said
just seconds
before you
retorted.
Inner
City
Press: Sure.
Spokesperson:
As soon as I
have more,
I’ll let you
know.
Then
later this was
sent out to UN
correspondents:
Assistant
Secretary-General
for Political
Affairs Oscar
Fernandez-Taranco
arrived
in the
Maldives late
today, local
time, and held
a press
encounter at
the airport in
Male. He said
he planned to
hold
meetings in
the coming
days with
leaders of the
government and
the
political
parties,
including the
newly sworn-in
President and
his
predecessor,
as well as
civil society.
He said the
purpose of the
visit would be
to encourage
Maldivian
leaders to
find ways of
stabilizing
the situation
and moving
forward on the
basis of
dialogue
and consensus.
He urged calm
and a stop to
all violence
or any action
that would
further
exacerbate
tensions. He
said it would
be critical
to avoid
retribution
against
political
rivals, and to
ensure in
particular the
continued
safety of Mr.
Nasheed. He
stressed that
there can be
no
externally-generated
solutions, and
that any
peaceful
solution in
the Maldives
must be
nationally-led
and supported
by the
people. He
expressed the
UN's readiness
to offer
support to a
process of
dialogue and
consensus-building.
He emphasized
the
importance of
preserving the
democratic
gains that
have been made
in
the Maldives.
, 
