Political Crossfire Forums

[Robweiller]

Quote: Polish president ponders top UN job

02.04.05
By Adam Jasser and Tomasz Janowski

WARSAW - Polish President Aleksander Kwasniewski said he could consider running for the post of secretary-general of the United Nations, provided the world body was reformed and had more clout.

Kwasniewski said he had already been sounded out by some world leaders as they begin the search for a replacement to current UN chief Kofi Annan, due to step down in 2006.

"Some conversations with me took place and if this organisation was to transform into a body equipped with a bigger political mandate and more active ... then it would be an interesting challenge," Kwasniewski told Reuters in an interview on Thursday. His remarks were cleared for publication on Friday.

"But if it (the UN) functions as it does now, I am completely unsuitable for such a role."

Under an informal rotation system, the top UN job should go to an Asian after Annan, an African, ends his second five-year term.

Diplomats say it remains unclear if Asian countries will manage to agree on a single candidate in which case, a European could be next in the line.

Kwasniewski, 50, a former communist turned liberal Social Democrat, has won respect in the West for his role in Poland's transformation from a Soviet satellite into a Nato and European Union member.

Recently, he was applauded by Washington and EU leaders for helping broker a peaceful and democratic resolution of the power struggle in Ukraine, Poland's eastern neighbour.

But he ruffled some feathers in Berlin and Paris when he joined the US-led "coalition of the willing" in Iraq despite the lack of UN blessing.

Kwasniewski said he still believed there were good reasons to intervene to topple Saddam Hussein and said the UN failed to handle the crisis, highlighting the case for its reform.

"The UN must focus on global issues such as terrorism or Aids and must be equipped with different instruments," he said.

He said Poland backed sweeping changes to the UN proposed by Annan earlier this month and which are going to be debated by the UN General assembly in September.

Kwasniewski would not say if Poland was backing a bid of its neighbour Germany to gain a permanent seat on the UN Security Council, saying its radical revamp giving a role to regional blocks and emerging powers such as India was also an option.

"You can expand the Security Council to include countries which play major roles today but perhaps we need to think differently and make the council a forum for regional blocks such as the EU, NAFTA, Asian countries and China," he said.

Kwasniewski has been Poland's president since 1995 when he succeeded Solidarity hero Lech Walesa. His second term in office ends later this year and he is barred for running again.

- REUTERS

Source: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/index.cfm?c_id=2&ObjectID=10118342

I just wanted to ask what you think about this candidature. Is Kwasniewski really that well recognized around the world for his negotiating skills and international cunning? I doubt that but I may be wrong. I know there are also other well known candidates as Bill Clinton, Vaclav Havel or Jose Maria Aznar. Do you treat his declaration seriously? I'd like to add he was mentioned as a possible NATO Secretary-General also, which is somehow absurd - an ex-minister in last Polish communist goverment as the NATO top manager. LOL.

Besides - the statement Polish President Aleksander Kwasniewski said he could consider running for the post of secretary-general of the United Nations, provided the world body was reformed and had more clout.
looks hilarious to me. In other words - "Give this position more virtual power and I'll be happy to take it and consider myself as the Ruler of the World"

[Seapearl]

Quote: "You can expand the Security Council to include countries which play major roles today but perhaps we need to think differently and make the council a forum for regional blocks such as the EU, NAFTA, Asian countries and China," he said.

Well, ASEAN and NAFTA......are economic regional blocks.........I don't think that they should replace the countries in the UN...the UN is not actually WTO.....You can see the difference!

Quote: I doubt that but I may be wrong. I know there are also other well known candidates as Bill Clinton, Vaclav Havel or Jose Maria Aznar

Personnaly I believe that someone recnosized for his/her contribution to global peace and known for his integrity and determination to act independently should become Secretary General of the UN, which has already suffered a lot...Bill Clinton and Aznar (????????) are not actually the best candidates, these people have ignored in the past the UN decisions....Even Kwasniweski......has done so, but in his case it is even worse because he even ignored the decision of th EU in the Iraq war (and he wants the EU in the Security Council?) .UN is a global organisation which aims to alleviate poverty around the world, protect global peace.......how could one of these people become Secretary General......it's quite paradox to me! It's time to decide which is finally the role of the UN in the world