Analysts urge ASEAN to have its own candidate for United Nations top post

Analysts urge ASEAN to have its own candidate for United Nations top post

Adianto P. Simamora, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

As the current chair of the Association of Southeast Asian
Nations (ASEAN), Indonesia should push for a consensus among
ASEAN member countries on fielding a single candidate for the
prestigious post of United Nations Secretary-General, analysts
say.

However, the analysts divided on whether Indonesia should put
forward its own candidate for the post when incumbent UN
Secretary-General Kofi Annan's second term ends in December 2006.

"This is a strategic position. I believe Indonesia qualifies
for proposing one of its distinguished diplomats for the UN's top
post," Dewi Fortuna Anwar, a prominent analyst well-versed in
international issues from the Indonesian Institute of Sciences,
told The Jakarta Post.

"I agree that ASEAN should field a single candidate, but I
will propose Pak Ali Alatas. He is a senior and respected
diplomat," she said.

Alatas, one of the country's top diplomats, a mediator and
former minister of foreign affairs from 1988 to 1999, played a
very crucial role in ending the Cambodian crisis.

In 1996, a number of Asian countries nominated him as UN
secretary-general.

Bantarto Bandoro, a foreign policy expert at the Centre for
Strategic and International Studies, has a different view:
"Indonesia should not put forward any candidate for the UN's top
post."

Bantarto, also the editor of the respected The Indonesian
Quarterly journal, told the Post that the government would face
difficulties in garnering international support, mainly because
its international image was shattered after a series of deadly
bomb attacks over the past few years.

"Although we have experienced diplomats, I personally think it
will be better if we support ASEAN's single candidate," he said.

He admitted that, in terms of individual capacity, Alatas was
the right man for the post.

Dewi and Bantarto both agree that Indonesia, in its capacity
as ASEAN chair, should urge a common candidate for the top UN
post.

Even if ASEAN proposes only one candidate, it will not affect
the chances of his or her success as ASEAN, a regional grouping,
has no legal status at the UN.

"ASEAN has only an observer status (in the UN), so its
bargaining position is weak," said Andi Widjajanto, head of
research at the Centre for International Relations at the
University of Indonesia.

"We have a good track record in fighting terrorism, but the
East Timor issues will be the main hurdle if Indonesia wants to
push forward its candidate for the UN post," he said, referring
to alleged cases of human rights abuse by Indonesian forces in
the former territory.

Meanwhile, Minister of Foreign Affairs Hassan Wirayuda said
the government had yet to discuss whether or not to propose a
candidate from Indonesia as UN secretary-general.

The debate has stretched from Jakarta to London, where
Indonesian Ambassador to the United Kingdom Prof. Juwono
Sudarsono has another perspective on the matter.

Juwono, the country's topmost international relations expert
and former defense minister, personally feels that the next UN
chief should come from one of the Scandinavian countries.

"A Scandinavian country is prosperous, not too powerful
economically or politically, and neutral enough to provide cool-
headed leadership and can provide a good balance between 'human
security' and 'humanitarian interventionism'," he said via e-mail
to the Post's query.

"A Scandinavian country would not risk rejection from the U.S.
-- the only major power that has outgrown the UN's outdated
structure -- and can therefore effectively dismiss any candidate
from any countries it doesn't particularly favor.

"Despite the notion of (it being) Asia's turn to become the
next UN Secretary-General, in my view no Asian or ASEAN foreign
minister currently fits the bill," he said.

In regards Alatas' qualifications for the post, he said:
"Alatas would have made a good secretary-general four years
ago..."

Although there is still two years to go, the race for the top
UN job kicked off in Asia early this month.

Thailand's highly ambitious billionaire Prime Minister Thaksin
Shinawatra, according to the Nation newspaper, plans to field his
foreign minister Surakiart Sathirathai as a candidate. The Thai
government disseminated its plans early this month to ASEAN
foreign ministers during their retreat in Halong Bay, Vietnam.

Malaysia also wants to put forward its former foreign minister
Musa Hitam as a candidate.

Meanwhile, ASEAN must try to rouse support from other regional
powers like China, India and Japan and convince the UN Security
Council that it is Asia's turn to lead the UN.

The General Assembly appoints a UN Secretary-General on the
recommendation of the 15-member Security Council for a five-year
term.

Myanmar's U Thant, who was UN Secretary-General from 1961 to
1971, is the only Asian who has held the post since the
organization's establishment.