UNO: Four ex-Soviet republics lose vote - 12 September, 2002

16 nations, a quarter of these ex-Soviet republics, have had their right of voting suspended in the UNO through non-payment of quotas. The 57th session of the General Assembly begins today with a severe reprimand to these nations from new president of the GA, the Czech Jan Kavan.

Kavan, a student leader during Czechoslovakia’s flirtation with new political ideas in the so-called “Prague Spring” of 1966, went on to become vice-Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of the Czech Republic. He was elected President of the UN General Assembly on Tuesday. His main intentions as president, he claims, are the elaboration of a world convention against terrorism and a definitive definition of international terrorism.

He will inaugurate the session today by issuing a stern reprimand to the 16 countries which have not paid a sum equal or superior to two yearly quotas to the UNO. These countries are the Kirgiz Republic, Tajikhstan, Georgia and Moldavia, all ex-Soviet Republics, Iraq and Vanuatu (South Pacific) and in Africa, Central African Republic, Chad, the Comores, Liberia, Niger, Mauritania, Somalia, Guniea-Bissau, Sao Tome and Principe and Burindi.

Timothy BANCROFT-HINCHEY
PRAVDA.Ru