UN leader cites rules on Madagascar

UNITED NATIONS — U.N. General Assembly President Ali Abdessalam Treki said he was only following the rules when he tried to let Madagascar's coup leader Andry Rajoelina speak.

The military-backed Rajoelina from the Indian Ocean island nation was barred from giving a speech to the General Assembly. The former radio DJ seized control of Madagascar in March in a widely denounced coup that has led to months of violence in the impoverished country.

Treki told The Associated Press on Saturday that Rajoelina's government was invited to the 192-nation General Assembly's annual high-level debate by U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's office. Treki said he also was advised by Ban's legal office that Rajoelina should be allowed to give a speech.

But in a rare move, the 192-nation assembly somewhat chaotically overruled Treki on Friday and barred Rajoelina from delivering any speech. Most nations were absent, however, when the 23-4 vote was recorded after a chaotic and heated discussion about his presence. The nations that opposed Rajoelina speaking were mostly African.

"By rule I cannot prevent this man from speaking. I can delay his speaking, which I did," said Treki, a veteran Libyan diplomat who took over the assembly presidency just this month. "I just implemented the regulation, the rule of procedure of the United Nations. I have to respect that."

Treki was careful to note in the official record of the vote that most of the assembly had "remained silent" on the issue.

The opposition to Rajoelina was led by the 15-nation South African Development Community and the tiny island nation of Comoros, which lies northwest off Madagascar and northeast of Mozambique.

The Democratic Republic of Congo's foreign minister, Alexis Mwamba, whose nation chairs SADC, raised a procedural objection. The economic organization was formed almost three decades ago to lessen dependence on then-apartheid South Africa.

Treki ruled Rajoelina could take the floor, but he tried to delay the speech by calling for a decision first from the General Assembly's credentials committee. That's when Mwamba pounced with a motion to bar Rajoelina.

A spokesman for Ban's office told the AP on Saturday that the invitation was sent to Madagascar's U.N. Mission to be forwarded to its government, as is the custom with all General Assembly invitations, and was not sent to Rajoelina particularly.

Voting against Rajoelina were: Angola, Argentina, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Canada, Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, India, Jamaica, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Nicaragua, Seychelles, South Africa, Suriname, Swaziland, United Republic of Tanzania, Venezuela, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Madagascar and three others — Denmark, Ecuador and Jamaica — favored letting Rajoelina talk. Six nations officially abstained; the rest were absent. Madagascar is protesting. Officials from its U.N. Mission could not immediately be reached for comment Saturday.

Two weeks ago, the African Union's peace and security council condemned Madagascar's coup leader for unilaterally forming a new government. It said that the government named by Rajoelina violates an agreement that demands that all parties agree on appointments.

Rajoelina toppled Madagascar's president, Marc Ravalomanana, who was forced into exile in South Africa after the coup.

Top politicians from the Indian Ocean island agreed in August to share power in an interim government to end the months of violence. According to the agreement, the transitional government was to start in September, rule for 15 months, and prepare for fresh elections.

Treki said he personally opposed letting Rajoelina speak.

"I am an African. As an African, I am not in favor ... ," Treki said. "I am not in favor because it was a coup d'etat and we in Africa, we do not allow such coup d'etats. But I have to follow the rules of this organization, which I did."

Treki, who previously served as Libya's foreign minister, acknowledged it was a coup that brought Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi to power 40 years ago in the oil-rich North African country. Libya staged a lavish spectacle earlier this month to celebrate that milestone.

"Starting from 2000, we have a regulation in the AU — we have a decision not to allow any coup d'etats," Treki told the AP. "Half of the Africans before then came from a coup d'etat, even more. ... But now we have a regulation, we have to respect that."

Copyright © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.


By JOHN HEILPRIN