|
Srgjan Kerim, His
Financing This Year Still Undisclosed, Is Not Available for Questions
Byline:
Matthew Russell Lee of Inner City Press at
the UN: News Analysis
UNITED NATIONS, May 22 -- This year's President of the General
Assembly, Srgjan
Kerim, has declined
to disclose who is paying him while he serves as PGA, and
Thursday at late-started, early-ended press conference, he took no
questions on
the topic, nor on his work as PGA. Wednesday outside the General
Assembly,
where the UK beat
out Spain for a Human Rights Council seat by one vote, with two
votes invalidated for still-unspecific reasons, Inner City Press
was told to
hold off on questions since Kerim would be available the next day. But
on Thursday he came
late, and virtually from the beginning of the press conference was
signaling
to his spokesman that it should be cut off. Video here.
Inner City Press was present from
before the beginning of the press conference but was not allowed a
question.
Rather, the final question of only four taken was awarded to a person
who came
in half-way through. Anything, apparently, other than explaining
finance or
even why votes are invalidated.
Other
questions have arisen about Kerim's tenure as President of the GA. The
Assembly's Budget Committee has complained
without success that the Secretariat
is late in providing reports and requests for funds. This letter was
not even
copied to Kerim as PGA. Inner City Press has repeated asked if
Kerim has gotten
involved in this matter. Ask him when he comes back and is here, was
his
spokesman's response. But then no questions were allowed.
Kerim and Prince, answers not shown (or
allowed)
Does
Kerim support the expulsion of journalists from GA committees? That has
occurred,
with no response by -- and now no questions even taken by -- Kerim.
When he
took office, it was emphasized that he used to be a reporter, that he
would be
transparent. Months later, questions are dodged, basic information is
not
disclosed, and questions are cut off or not allowed.
* * *
These reports are
usually also available through Google
News and on Lexis-Nexis.
Click
here for a Reuters
AlertNet piece by this correspondent
about Uganda's Lord's Resistance Army. Click
here
for an earlier Reuters AlertNet piece about the Somali National
Reconciliation Congress, and the UN's $200,000 contribution from an
undefined trust fund. Video
Analysis here
Feedback: Editorial
[at] innercitypress.com
UN Office: S-453A, UN, NY 10017 USA
Tel: 212-963-1439
Reporter's mobile (and weekends):
718-716-3540
Other,
earlier Inner City Press are listed here, and some are available
in the ProQuest service, and now on Lexis-Nexis.
Copyright
2006-08 Inner City Press, Inc. To request
reprint or other permission, e-contact Editorial [at]
innercitypress.com -
|
