U.N. Security Council increase: will be veto power used?

Four countries campaigning for permanent seats on the &to=http:// english.pravda.ru/main/2002/10/17/38306.html ' target=_blank>U.N. Security Council have dropped their demand for veto power. The General Assembly could vote this month to add ten new members to the world body's most powerful organ.

Japan, Germany, India and Brazil Wednesday revised a draft General Assembly resolution that would increase the size of the U.N. Security Council from 15 to 25 members.

An earlier draft called for six new permanent members with the same veto rights as the United States, China, Russia, France and Britain.

But in a cover letter submitted with the revised version, the four candidate countries say they would drop the veto demand for at least 15 years.

Germany's U.N. Ambassador &to=http:// english.pravda.ru/main/2003/02/26/43739.html ' target=_blank>Gunter Pleuger said the concession was made in the face of strong opposition, both from the permanent five, or P-five Council members, as well as from other countries that would prefer to do away with the veto altogether, reports VOA News.

Germany yesterday joined Japan and two other candidates for permanent Security Council membership, Brazil and India, as they agreed not to seek veto power for at least 15 years if accepted.