I stand a better chance for UN top post

Member of the European Parliament Niranjan Deva Aditya, a dual citizen of Sri Lanka and United Kingdom plans to run for the post of United Nation's Secretary General. In an interview with the Sunday Observer staffer Jayantha Sri Nissanka, Deva Aditya said that since Sri Lankan candidate Dr. Jayantha Dhanapala did not come top in the first poll, he decided to enter the fray to get nominated through an Asian country.

Q: You are planning to contest the United Nations (UN) top post. What are your credentials to be the next UN Secretary General?

A: It is difficult to predict at this juncture. But I have a close working relationship with 79 African, Caribbean and Pacific countries since I am the Spokesman and Development Committee Coordinator. Also I have the support of 25 European Union member countries. I am fairly well-known in Asia and less known in Latin America. In the General Assembly, I will have good support from countries I have helped. For example, I have assisted Caribbean countries with their restriction on Bananas, sugar protocol, reconstruction after the typhoon and tourism industry. In the Pacific, I have done the same with sugar and so on. I have done a lot of work in Africa on reconstruction, prevention of AIDS, tuberculosis, women's rights and so on. I hope that countries know my work and will support me.

Q: But already a veteran diplomat Dr. Jayantha Dhanapala has been nominated as Sri Lanka's candidate. How can the Sri Lankan Government nominate you as the second candidate?

A: No, no, I am not going to stand as a Sri Lankan candidate. But any member state can nominate persons who are nationals or non-nationals. That is the rule. Rules say that a country can nominate a candidate or candidates.

Q: Chapter 15 or Article 97 in the UN Charter clearly states how to elect the Secretary General. When Kofi Annan contested, Ghana did not back him. Are you following the same pattern?

A: Yes, Kofi Annan was elected on that basis. Ghana backed him just 24 hours before he was named as the Secretary General. He was backed by veto powers. This is the key thing. 186 member states of UN can support you but if one veto power votes against, then you lose the chance to become the Secretary General.

Q: Can you muster the support of veto powers?

A: Two of the veto powers are European and I legislate for those countries. I am known to the United States administration and I have worked with them for 30 years at joint conferences. The Chinese are getting to know me. They trust me because they want to strengthen the EU- China relations. Russians are friends. But who knows finally what will happen. It does not depend only on me because it's a comparison between me and others in the fray. Rumours are spreading that a few more international figures will enter the fray at the last minute. Q: Do you expect the Government to nominate you as the second candidate?

A: I am not asking the Government to put me as a candidate, because you already have an excellent experienced candidate, who is very capable. I as a Sri Lankan citizen wanted to inform my friend, President Mahinda Rajapaksa that I intend to run for the UN Secretary General's post. Since Dhanapala did not come on top, I thought now it is the time to tell the President that I intend to contest if he is not objecting. He said 'you are my friend and personally I have no objection'. But as the Government, he said that he cannot help because it's a long process to go through the Cabinet, then Parliament and voting on the candidature. Dr. Dhanapala had been nominated after going through this process. He respected the fact that I have been polite to inform him before submitting my nominations.

Q: What country will submit your application?

A: I am not in a position to divulge it now. But one of the countries who are backing me is an Asian country.

Q: Is there a guarantee that you can get elected?

A: Nobody can predict what will happen at the election. People are polite but ultimately you don't know whether they will support you or not. In the first round who expected Mr. Ban Kimoon to poll 12 votes, Mr. Tharoor to come in the second with ten votes. Thai candidate Surakiart Sathirathai got only seven votes and Mr. Dhanapala got only five votes. People say `yes' to our face but they go and do the reverse. I thought Dhanapala had a very good chance. That is why I held myself back. I did not want to interfere, confuse or upset his victory.

Q: It is not mentioned in the UN Charter that the Secretary General should be elected in rotation from different regions. But as a tradition this term is for Asia. You are a British citizen. Are you a dual citizen to contest this election?

A: Yes, I am a dual citizen of Sri Lanka and United Kingdom. I am contesting as an Asian.

Q: What do you think of the candidates who are in the fray?

A: It is very important that the new Secretary General should be an outsider from the UN system. That is what America wants and they have reiterated this more than 100 times. The US said they want an outsider from the UN system with good managerial experience who respects democracy. So they are looking for someone who is a good manager, reformer, who does not have friendships and relationships with the existing UN structure. They want someone who has political and democratic experience.

Q: When are you going to submit your nomination papers?

A: I have to take advice from my sponsors. A central Asian country is helping me with the Chinese and Russians. I should wait and go along. I looked at e-mails I received carefully and talked to myself because this is a very difficult decision. If you perform badly in the first round, then you can't proceed further. Once you are down, you are down.

Q: What is the last date to submit nominations?

A: According to the rules at any stage in the process. May be at the last minute of the process.

Q: Will more powerful candidates enter the fray at the last minute?

A: Yes, I think and I know so. I don't think that any of the candidates who are now in the fray will remain, except a few. I suspect some Prime Ministers' will contest at the last minute. That is why I am waiting and watching. I don't want to rush into the election. So it's a matter of time. Frankly, it is very foolish to rush into the contest. Timing is important.

Q: If you become the Secretary General what are the reforms you are planning to introduce to activate a highly politicised inefficient UN administration?

A: I have done a lot of study on this. More details are on my website www.nirjdeva.com.

Q: What is your policy on the ballistic missile programme of the USA?

A: First, the US anti-ballistic missile programme is not relevant to the UN. But talking as an European politician, I have no problem with defensive missile programmes where you shield your territory from outside missile attacks. I think protective mechanisms are very important today especially nuclear missile may fall into wrong hands like terrorists and Governments which are not democratically elected. So if you don't have a defensive missile system, then you are in trouble.

Q: The UN kept mum on actions of the certain veto members. If you are a Secretary General, how will you stop such actions?

A: Well, the UN is extremely hampered by its own Charter. The Charter has aspirations in the preamble, but Chapter Seven talks about other things. The UN is bankrupt at the moment. It needs to be fixed. The UN is also very ineffective sometime. I see the UN more as a peace keeper and a peace builder. I support the Peace building commission very much. Humanitarian assistance, development, conflict resolution, peace building, peace keeping, nation building, institution building and democracy are the keyroles I see in the UN. But I don't see the UN as a major force in military terms. I also feel that UN peace keepers should be trained to international standard. I hope Sri Lanka will be able to do a substantial peace keeping role once its problem is settled. The Sri Lankan Army can play a prominent role internationally in peace keeping and peace building. I expect the UN to be more reactive. If something happens, the UN is clueless.

After five months the UN is doing something else. You take the Lebanese issue. Resolution 1559 clearly says that the Government of Lebanon should control its own territories and its Army should be in charge of its territorial borders. That did not happen but after four years, Hizbollah took charge in South Lebanon. It led to the crisis. Those are the things I think the UN should vigorously implement.

Q: Veto powers do not care about UN decisions. If you are selected as the Secretary General, how will you handle the actions of veto powers?

A: The UN only has influence and it does not have powers. The Charter gives a prominent place for veto powers. That is because Joseph Stalin opposed the creation of the UN at that time. That veto can drive the UN backward or forward. However, the Secretary General has to work very closely with the veto powers. At the same time the interests of Asia, Latin America should be reflected while working with five veto powers.

Q: The UN speaks of maintaining democracy. The UN system does not have democracy due to the veto powers of five powerful nations. What is your view on this?

A: Yes, there is a big fuss in the UN about lack of democracy. There are five members with veto in the Security Council along with ten non-permanent members. If one country vetoes a candidate, then he loses the chance to be the Secretary General.

Boutros Boutros Ghali was such a victim. He got 14 votes out of total 15 votes when he contested for the second term. But USA vetoed him. So there is no democracy in the UN. USA, China, France, UK and Russia are the veto powers. The question is, who is going to veto whom.

Not that who is going to vote for whom. So you need a minimum of eight votes along with the support of all five veto powers.

Q: Half of the UN funds are spent on administration as there are endless Committees and Commissions. So how will you rationalise the UN expenses?

A: Don't worry. If am elected as the Secretary General nothing of that kind will happen because I am a businessman. I am a Director of a public company and Director of a British company and also I am a member of the European Parliament. I know how to cut costs. I'm good at trimming.