As
Jeremic
Accused of
"Bribes" To Be
PGA, Witness
Qatar, WEOG,
Ban
By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
July 9 --
Presidents of
the UN General
Assembly
usually
campaign for
and stealthly
gain the
position with
the
unequivocal
support of
their
government.
In the case of
monarchies
Qatar and
Bahrain this
of course was
no problem.
Nor for Joseph
Deiss of
Switzerland,
or long-time
Daniel Ortega
ally Padre
Miguel
d'Escoto of
Nicaragua.
But
with
Vuk Jeremic it
is different.
His Democratic
Party is now
out of
power in
Serbia, and
opponents
internal and
external are
leaking
information
about
Jeremic's
campaign and
prospective
funding of his
year atop of
the General
Assembly. (Click here
for Inner City
Press'
July
6 story.)
Now
in
Serbia it is
alleged that
part of the
$2.4 million
first
allocation is
for "bribery"
to help Vuk
gain the
position. The
irony here is
that this is
how UN
elections are
contested and
won.
Witness
the current
Western
European &
Other Group
race of
Finland,
Australia and
Luxembourg for
two Security
Council seats.
Finland gave
out
chocolates
(and more,
including
trips to a
mediation
conference);
Australia
through a
reception in
the
"Ambassadors'
River View"
tent facing
the East
River;
Luxembourg is
working the
field.
One
might
also compare
it to what
Qatar spent a
year ago to
beat Nepal
for the Asia
and Pacific
Group
nomination, or
what Lithuania
spent
this year in
unsuccessful
opposition to
Jeremic. Or
even to what
South Korea
and Ban
Ki-moon spent
to win the
Secretary
General post.
But
Vuk's
party is out
of power, and
this mayor of
Belgrade is
gunning
for him. How
much will be
spent on his
office this
coming year?
As
noted,
Inner
City Press has
reported on Switzerland
paying for the
housing of PGA
Joseph Deiss
(despite the
oath nearly
ubiquitous in
the
Organization
to serve the
UN and not
one's
country), and
has
inquired into
the
fundraising of
Srgjan Kerim
(beyond the $1
million
from his
government.)
Now incoming
PGA Vuk
Jeremic of
Serbia, whose
election
Inner City
Press predicted
with 97 votes
(he got 99)
is under some
fire at home,
for a
reported $7
million
request.
Jeremic's
rival in
the Democratic
Party (DS),
Belgrade Mayor
Dragan Dilas,
has put the
figure at $7.5
million and
called it
disgraceful.
For now, it's
said
that only $2.9
million have
been approved,
prior to the
vote for PGA,
but running
only throw
December.
In
order
to asses
Jeremic's
reported
estimate,
Inner City
Press asked
the office of
the current
Qatari PGA:
"This
is
a press
request to
know the
budget of the
current
President of
the
General
Assembly for
his year in
office, both
from UN and
non-UN
sources.
"To
explain,
there is now a
controversy in
the press in
Serbia about
the
incoming
president's
proposed
budget from
his country...
in this
context, and
generally for
UN
transparency,
I am asking
you for the
total PGA
budget for his
year, broken
down as much
as are willing
to."
The
answer
that came back
so far did not
have the
number from
Qatar, only
from the UN:
"Dear
Matthew,
The Office of
the PGA
receives
$250,000 for
each
presidency
from the
regular UN
budget. This
amount has
been set in
1998 by Member
States. The
national
government of
the PGA may
contribute to
the funding of
the operations
and activities
of the
PGA/OPGA.
"There
is
also the Trust
Fund
established in
support of the
Office and
used
to cover the
costs of PGA
initiatives
such as
specific
thematic
debates.
Member States
can make
voluntary
contributions
to this Fund
- but during
this session
the Fund
received no
contributions."
There
is
another
wrinkle,
raised to
Inner City
Press by
another UN
source:
beyond the
now-outdated
$250,000, the
UN pays for
some of the
PGA
Office's
posts, and
others are
seconded by
other
countries.
Still, it
has become
harder and
harder for
poor countries
to be PGA:
witness
Nepal losing
out to Qatar.
Now there is
Serbia. Inner
City Press has
reiterated its
request for
the actual
Qatari number.
Watch this
site.
, 
