Inner City Press -- Investigative Reporting From the Inner City to Wall Street to the United Nations

UN Now Rations Questions, Passes Buck on Nepotism, of Kosovo and Double Standards

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, January 6 -- The new UN Spokesman Martin Nesirky on January 6 told the Press, "You can ask one more question, your choice." Even when he could not or would not answer the question asked, about the UN's continued losses to Myanmar strongman Than Shwe in forced currency exchange, he did not allow a second question, about the UN in Kosovo. Video here, from Minute 26:47.

  Inner City Press asked, Is there some limit? Is there a new system to ration or apportion questions being instituted? Earlier in the day's noon briefing, Nesirky had engaged for a full seven minutes with one correspondent, telling him "I'm enjoying this as much as you are." Video here, from Minute 9:36 to 16:36.

  Nesirky's stated rationale for rationing further questions was that the "Secretary General is going to speak at the stakeout and I have to stand next to him." But Nesirky disallowed simple and short factual questions before 12:30, and Secretary General Ban Ki-moon did not arrive at the Security Council stakeout until after 12:45.

  Mr. Nesirky said he would keep a list of questions asked, to ensure that they were answered. But, while still early in his tenure, Nesirky has taken to only selectively answering questions. Since last week, a question has been pending with his Office of Ban Ki-moon's son in law and what has been called nepotism not only by Inner City Press but also the Washington Post.

  Some surmise that Nesirky's seeming double standard -- seven minutes allowed to a correspondent from a British daily who may or may not even use the answer this week, while disallowing questions from an online publication which covers the UN for better and worse every day -- reflects a certain media elitism.

  Nesirky previously worked for the UK-based wire service Reuters, covering among other capitals that of South Korea, Seoul. Some are watching out for favorable treatment to Reuters, but the January 6 noon briefing reflected at best bad time management skills, and functionally, a form of media elitism.

  While providing questionable answered about the entry into Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's residence of a person neither invited nor even a UN staff member, Nesirky told Inner City Press, "This is not a story." Perhaps within Reuters he could make that judgment. But as another correspondent pointed out at the January 6 briefing, it is not the UN Spokesman's role.

  Increasingly, when Nesirky does not want to answer a question in the briefing he says that it was answered elsewhere, then refuses to repeat the answer. On January 5 he did this with regard to the UN's position on Al Shaabab in Somalia demanding that humanitarian workers there not promote democracy or human rights.

  Nesirky said that Peter Smerdon of WFP in Nairobi had answered the question. Had he? Previously Nesirky said Smerdon answered with regard to Al Shabaab trying to charge $20,000.

  On January 6, Inner City Press wanted to ask Nesirky for the UN's reply to Al Shaabab's statement in Mogadishu that they never tried to charge WFP $20,000. But Nesirky said, no more questions.

  The Kosovo question that he half-heard and then cut off concerned a request from Serbian president Boris Tadic to the "international institutions" in Pristina, presumably including the UN, to arrange a visit to Kosovo.

  Did the UN receive the request? What does it think of it?  The question was cut off and disallowed. Ban Ki-moon was previously criticized for dodging the question of whether Kosovo's unilateral declaration of independence complied with international law. This is the UN's job. And to take and answer questions is the UN Spokesperson's job.

UN's new spokesman, who some now call "NeSmirky," a work in progress

   When he can't say that a question has previously been answered, Nesirky will defer to a future answer which may never be given. On January 6, Inner City Press asked him to confirm that Ibrahim Gambari's salary was paid by a mixture of the UN's funds for Myanmar and for Iraq, a post Gambari lost. Nesirky said, you can asked USG for Management Angela Kane tomorrow.

  Inner City Press has other questions for Ms. Kane, including some unanswered by Nesirky's office. Nesirky said he couldn't guarantee that Ms. Kane could be asked, or would answer, the question. Inner City Press tried to ask another question, and Nesirky cut in, "No you don't." Video here, from Minute 21:53. The total elapsed time was less then two minutes, versus the previous seven minute colloquy.

  Even when questions are put to his Office in writing, not only about Mr. Ban's son in law but also other nepotism questions, referred to the UN in Cote d'Ivoire and never answered, and simple questions about the UN's work in the Bakassi Peninsula, Cameroon and Nigeria. Mr. Nesirky has said he would keep a list of questions asked, to ensure that they were answered. That list is getting longer, while it is still early in his tenure. Watch this site.