UNITED NATIONS, June 30 -- When an election on which the UN has spent years ends up with a single candidate and the opponent in hiding, and polling's marked with the deadly tossing of grenades, what does Secretary General Ban Ki-moon do? He “takes note” of the one party election, in this case in Burundi. But what does this mean?
On June 28, after Ban praised the referendum in Kyrgyzstan that was marked by ethnic cleansing then declined to take questions on his praise, Inner City Press asked his spokesman Martin Nesirky if Ban would also praise Burundi. We'll have something tomorrow, Nesirky said.
And indeed he did. In the opening of the June 29 noon briefing, Nesirky provided updates on two outstanding questions:
Yesterday I was asked about Burundi. The Secretary-General takes note of the presidential election that took place on 28 June. In regard to the rest of the electoral cycle, the Secretary-General calls on all Burundians, and their political parties, to continue settling their disputes through peaceful means and an inclusive dialogue, and he urges them to persist in consolidating national cohesion and their hard-won peace.
I was also asked yesterday about the appointment of a new Chief of Staff in Guinea-Bissau. The United Nations takes note of the appointment of Major-General Antonio N’djai as the new Chief of General Staff of the Armed Forces of Guinea-Bissau. The Special Representative of the Secretary-General in Guinea-Bissau, Joseph Mutaboba, is consulting national and international stakeholders on the way forward, particularly with respect to security-sector reform, addressing impunity, restoring respect for the rule of law and strengthening democratic governance. Our goal is to secure the cooperation of all concerned, including the military leadership, in the continued pursuit of our peacebuilding mission, which includes as a central feature the introduction of vital reforms in the security sector.
It goes without saying that a one party election is far less than ideal. In Guinea-Bissau, the UN had expressed concern that the mutineer might be rewarded with a government post. But then when it happened, the UN merely “took note.” And so Inner City Press asked Nesirky:
Inner City Press: I just wanted to follow up on these two announcements that you made on Burundi and Guinea-Bissau. In the Burundi election, there was only one candidate, and since then grenades have been thrown at the Electoral Commission, killing two people. You’re saying Ban Ki-moon takes note of it. What does that mean?
Spokesperson Nesirky: I said he took note of the presidential election.
Inner City Press: Is that some kind — “taking note” means he doesn’t view a one candidate’s election positively, or he views the throwing of grenades as unhelpful? What is he taking note of?
Spokesperson: Of the presidential election that took place on 28 June. And what it also says — I can repeat it for you — is that he calls on all Burundians and their political parties to continue settling their disputes through peaceful means and inclusive dialogue; peaceful means and inclusive dialogue. And that’s a message that he took directly to the people, including the President, when he visited Bujumbura earlier this month.
Inner City Press: I was just wondering, maybe if you could get [inaudible] like at the Security Council, like taking note. Is he troubled by it? Is he concerned by it? Is he just aware of it? I just want, if you could give…
Spokesperson: Well, for now it says what it says, Matthew. It says what it says. There may be more coming from the Mission subsequently, but that’s what we’re saying at the moment. And importantly, he stressed on the spot, when he was there in Bujumbura, and he’s saying it again now, through me, as he is on his way to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, that this is a process after a conflict, and there needs to be some persistence here to work to consolidate national cohesion. No one is saying that they’re there yet. But they need to push ahead with that. And in doing so, they need to be as inclusive as possible. Okay, and you want to add something on Guinea-Bissau, did you say?
Inner City Press: No, I think it’s just you used exactly the same phrase, and it seems like, I think the question you were asked yesterday is whether the UN, which had expressed concern about this individual getting the post, is concerned now that the person has gotten the post. And I guess, I put the two together, maybe “taking note” means there is concern. I just wasn’t sure.
Spokesperson: Well, it’s not for me to try to parse or interpret the wording. I think, probably, I’d have to leave that to you.
And see, www.innercitypress.com/ban1notes063010.html
