By Matthew Russell Lee
UNITED NATIONS, February 27 – As French Polynesia pushes at the UN to get back on the C-24 decolonization list, Inner City Press on Wednesday asked France's Permanent Representative Gerard Araud about the move. (Inner City Press first wrote about the rising action on February 25, here.)
Araud noted that there are elections in French Polynesia in April and said “the UN shouldn't be used in an electoral campaign.” Of course, the UN and Security Council often are. Even Francois Hollande's popularity went up after his decision to intervene in Mali -- a decision his government and Araud told the Security Council was in the framework of international law and Council resolutions.
Araud went on to note that several members of the Non-Aligned Movement are not in support of French Polynesia's push. One of them, it's said, said in Tuesday's meeting sponsored by the Solomon Islands that resolutions shouldn't be used for elections back home. But again, they often are.
Analogy is made to New Caledonia, which by resolution got re-inscribed on the decolonization list in the 1980s. There, even amid violent protest, the resolution is called by opponents of French Polynesia's move “more balanced” than the current one.
So water it down, suggests another. But pass it. Watch this site.
