By Matthew Russell Lee
www.innercitypress.com/ban1shashi101409.html
UNITED NATIONS, October 14 -- Three years ago, Ban Ki-moon and Shashi Tharoor were competing for who would follow Kofi Annan as UN Secretary General. After Ban prevailed -- one voter has written, because he didn't wake up saying he is"God's gift to humanity"-- Tharoor went into private business, then ran for office in India. He won, and was named Minister of State for External Affairs. Wednesday he came to the UN and shook hands with Ban Ki-moon.
Inner City Press and a handful of other correspondents were shepherded up to the 38th floor to wait for the photo opportunity. You are not to ask questions, Inner City Press was told. This is only for photo agencies. Inner City Press pointed out that in the world of new digital media, the line between print and photo has blurred. There were no space constraints: upstairs were only UN Photo, UN TV and a single Indian photographer.
A Ban staffer from India came in first, jovial, and asked that his photo with Shashi be taken as they were classmates at Tufts University. He was immersed today, he said, in Somalia, in restoring order. Other Ban advisers milled about in the hall, but Inner City Press was told it could not start video filming yet.
Also present was the Chief of Office of the UN Department of Public Information, which Shashi used to head. In fact, Shashi reportedly brought into the UN the individual now the special assistant to the DPI chief that followed, Kiyo Akasaka: Jaya Diyal. Her father, in turn, is described by one insider as the "Indian Volcker," who help tamp out an early inquiry into the Oil for Food scandal. And so it goes.
Suddenly Ban Ki-moon entered from a side door. "It's the Secretary General himself," Shashi said. They shook hands, the Ban staffer and Shashi classmate confined to the sidelines. The two men stood in front of the UN logo and the flashbulbs flashed. They made small talk.
"Good to see you," said Ban.
"Very gracious of you to send me those congratulations," Shashi replied.
"You were elected then appointed," Mr. Ban recited. Inner City Press was tapped on the shoulder: it was time to go.
At least permission was granted to go up. Recently when Sri Lanka's Prime Minister visited Ban, Inner City Press which arrived early was told it was too late. Too much coverage, apparently. Before its series about the Island of Blood, Inner City Press was let up to cover Ban's meeting with presidential brother Basil Rajapaksa.
Wednesday one wondered at the topics of the meeting. India is said to be interested in taking over UN Peacekeeping. Other say that as party to a UN recognized conflict -- Kashmir -- such a post would not be possible. But that it only an unwritten rule.
Visible in the run up to the photo op was current USG and chief of staff Vijay Nambiar. It remains rumored he may be sent out to the field, and another Indian USG sought for headquarters. Why not Peacekeeping? France only has the post, insiders say, because it traded its vote for Kofi Annan to the USG position. This is not even an unwritten precedent. Let the shake up begin, some say.
First things first: in a dinner with South Korean legislators, Ban reportedly said he has no interest in the politics of Seoul, and does not want to be included in the polls. This was reported in the Korean press; Inner City Press asked Ban's spokesperson to confirm it, for a read out of the meeting. None has yet been given. Likewise, no answer as been given about what Ban will do on the nepotism case of his Congo envoy Alan Doss, who comes to town this week. In the absence of simple answers, rumors swirl through the now near empty building.
Some say the speechwriting and communications director jobs may be split in two. Candidates for be the next Spokesperson are being interviewed, "very hush hush," a denizen of the 38th floor tells Inner City Press. Requests have been made for a briefing, never given, by the USG for the Department of General Assembly and Conference Services. USG for the Department of Political Affairs Lynn Pascoe, subject to much recent scrutiny, was more than polite by the stakeout. So was Mr. Nambiar's deputy, up on the 38th floor. But some say the knives are out. Watch this site.
