By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
May 16,
updated 10:50
am -- As
Permanent
Representatives
poured into
the
General
Assembly on
Wednesday
morning for
the expected
fight on the
Small Five's
draft
resolution
recommending
changes to the
Security
Council's
working
methods, Inner
City Press
began taking
an informal
poll.
South
Africa's
Permanent
Representative
Baso Sangqu
expressed
support for
the S5, as
did for
example Norway
and G-4 member
Japan.
Others
in the UfC
said it is
"too important
an issue" to
divide the
membership,
and urged
withdrawal of
the proposal,
citing the
legal
opinion letter
of Ban
Ki-moon's
reclusive top
lawyer
Patricia
O'Brien, which
Inner City
Press
obtained and
put online
yesterday.
After
that story,
some in UfC
pointed out to
Inner City
Press that
even though
the
Permanent Five
wanted that
opinion from
O'Brien, so
did they, and
that there are
"some Davids"
in the UfC,
not only the
P5
Goliaths.
In
fact, the P5
was advised to
take a
backseat or
less visible
role, but
chose not
to. Likewise
the P5 were
offered an
informal
process of
conferring on
working
methods, a
large Latin
country says,
but the P5
rejected it.
Still,
by 10:15
am Permanent
Representatives
from Africa
and Latin
America
emerged
and told Inenr
City Press the
buzz is that
the Small Five
would give
a speech and
withdraw their
proposal.
If
not, a UfC
Perm
Rep told Inner
City Press,
there would be
a no-action
motion, and if
that failed, a
push by the
Small Five to
lower the
requirement to
50%
from the
O'Brien
dictated
two-thirds.
Update
of 10:50 am --
a Small Five
Permanent
Representative
who had been
fiery on
Tuesday now
tells Inner
City Press, we
are going to
meet with the
PGA. O'Brien's
letter sure to
figure.
Meanwhile
there's talk
of the African
Group asking
for a
deferral. Watch
this site.
Update
of
11:12 am -- a
Small Five dip
has said they
will withdraw,
not just
defer. Still
no formal
confirmation.
