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| UN Security Council in session (File photo) | |
UNITED NATIONS, New York, October 23, 2006 - After 35 rounds of voting with no clear winner, the United States is calling on Venezuela to give up its bid for a United Nations Security Council seat.
Venezuela has the backing of Caribbean nations for the seat while the United States is backing Guatemala.
"I think the will of the General Assembly is quite clear. Guatemala has been up by about 30 votes consistently. They're very close to a two-thirds majority, and the honorable thing here would be for the candidate that's now lost 28 out of 29 votes to withdraw. But if Venezuela insists on putting everybody through all this, vote after vote after vote, we'll be here, and we'll continue to support Guatemala," US Ambassador John Bolton said last Thursday.
Since then there have been more six more rounds of voting with Guatemala still leading.
Venezuela's Ambassador to the United Nations Francisco Arias Cardenas said Venezuela, on principle, cannot give up.
"If we accept the pressures and if we accept what they're trying to do, it's far beyond the election between two countries, because it has to do with a reform of the United Nations, which is an important issue. If we accept their pressure, it will go against the democratization, what is quite necessary within the United Nations. Up to now we have resisted all of the pressure, and we think that it is quite necessary that an independent country with an independent voice will contribute to achieve the necessary reform of the Security Council."
Voting is set to resume Wednesday.
There is talk in the corridors of nominating a third party but this would mean that both candidates would have to step down and Guatemala said it has no intention of doing so.
"We would like there to be a longer recess so that we can talk among each other, among ourselves and between ourselves to see if we find a way out. We are not happy with tying up the work of the General Assembly, but for the time being, since we are in the lead, we have no intention of stepping down," said Guatemalan ambassador Gert Rosenthal.
Venezuela is accusing the United States of pressuring smaller countries into voting for Guatemala which has never held a seat on the council. Venezuela has served as a non-permanent member four times.
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