RI for renomination of Boutros-Ghali

JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia will fight for the renomination of Boutros Boutros-Ghali as the United Nations secretary-general when it chairs the Security Council next month, Antara said yesterday.

But Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Alatas told reporters at the United Nations in New York on Wednesday that other council members should prepare for the possibility that Boutros-Ghali's renomination for a second term would be vetoed by the United States.

"That could well happen, and we have to be realistic," said Alatas on the sidelines of the General Assembly. "Other council members must prepare for an alternative," he said.

Indonesia will stick to its decision to support Boutros- Ghali's bid for a second five-year term, he said.

"If the U.S. uses its veto right, that's another question," said the minister, who met with Boutros-Ghali earlier this week.

Most of the 15 Security Council members have rebuffed the United States' efforts to have the candidacy for the secretary- general post discussed this month. They want to postpone the discussion until after the U.S. presidential election early next month.

Washington has indicated it does not want Boutros-Ghali, whose term ends on Dec. 31, to remain at the UN's helm despite his support from many countries including from Russia, China and France. Washington has threatened to veto his reelection if he runs for the post.

The United States blames the Egyptian diplomat for what it claims is the slow pace of reform at the world body. The United States has delayed paying more than $1.5 billion which it owes the United Nations for this reason.

Indonesia, which assumes presidency of the council next month, would play a crucial role in the election of the secretary- general, Alatas said.

As president, Indonesia would try to accommodate the various opinions in the council on the election, he said. Besides informal meetings and lobbying, there would be a debate before the election, he added.

According to UN regulations, the 15 members of the Security Council must nominate a candidate for secretary-general who then requires endorsement from the General Assembly.

AFP reported a U.S. official as saying yesterday that the U.S. delegation had informed the council president for October, Gerardo Martinez Blanco of Honduras, that in Washington's view, the candidacy should be raised by the council this month.

But diplomats said that Blanco's bilateral meetings with other members of the council on Tuesday and Wednesday had failed to show consensus on discussion of the candidacy until after the U.S. presidential election on Nov. 5. Besides the non-aligned countries, permanent council members China, France and Russia are opposed to an early discussion on the next UN chief.

But a fresh U.S. attempt to put the issue on the council agenda this month could not be ruled out, diplomats said.

Honduras' five non-aligned partners in the council -- Botswana, Chile, Egypt, Guinea-Bissau and Indonesia -- were angered by the distribution of a document concerning election procedures, diplomats said. (emb)