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wmmm 3A NEWS/tC$e Ctatlotte Thursday, August 18, 2005 Africans press for United Nations seats By Thalif Deen INTERNAVONAL PRESS SERVICE UNITED NATIONS - TKe 53-nation African Union is exercising its political clout by refusing to ba^ down on its demand for two permanent seats on the U.N. Security Council — but with hard-to- get veto powers. W^th its unyielding stand, reinforced at a second summit meeting of African nations in the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa recently, the AU has undermined an intense bid by the Group of Four, namely Germany Japan, India and Brazil, for new permanent seats minus the veto. AU four countries, co-spon- sors of a resolution for the expansion of the 15-member Security Coimcil, dropped their demand for vetoes hop ing it would help them over come strong opposition from some or most of the five veto- wielding permanent mem bers: U.S., France, Britain, China and Russia. The P-5 have been accused of wanting to hold onto their veto powers while denying the same powers to newcom ers. But with the AU sticking to its guns, the proposal to add new veto-less permanent members to the Security Council has come to a virtual dead end — once again. A draft resolution intro duced by the AU says the new permanent members should Meeting might focus Dems By George E. Curry NATIONAL NEWSPAPER PUBUSHERS ASSOCIATION See CONVENnON/7A be accorded ’*the same prerog atives and privileges as those of the current permanent members, including the right to veto.” The resolution foUowed a decision taken at the first AU summit meeting of heads of state jn Libya in early July “The AU should continue to demand veto power,” says BiU . Fletcher Jr, president of the Washington-based IVansAfiica Forum, a non governmental organization (NGO) that is also a center for activism focusing on condi tions in the Afiican world. He pointed out that the AU rep resents nearly 1 billion people ’’who have Httle if no voice at the global table.” “Either participation in the Security Council means the same for all participants, or it should be treated as a farce,” Fletcher said. Last month, one U.S. news- pap«* quoted unnamed U.S. administration officials as saying that the United States is opposed to giving new members veto powers ’’out of concern that it might para lyze the Security Council” and also dilute U.S. power at the United Nations. ‘What is the point of Security Council reform if it leaves the fundamental power structures intact? The argument for expansion must not only be linked to equitable representation but also to for mal power,” Kwame Akonor, director of the Afiican Development Institute, told IPS. “The fact is that the veto power (of the Security Council) still is a key instru ment of intemational poli tics,” he said. ”The Afiican Union should therefore not compromise on its demands for immediate veto rights for any new permanent council members.” Akonor also pointed out that it is quite clear that the AU has neither support nor the two-thirds m^ority need ed to sustain its position but sacrificing this principle (in any reform discussions) is a declaration by Afiica of its willingness to remain a silent non-actor in world politics. ”The point cannot be overemphasized, especially if we bear in mind the fact that over half of the Seoirity Council’s current agenda deals with Afiica,” he added. At a press briefing last month, U.N. Secretary- G^eral Kofi Annan described as ’’utopian” attempts to either abolish the existing vetoes or create new' perma- n^t seats with veto powers. ’It is utopian to think we can do it. Many member states would want to do that, but it is not possible. And they are not willing to create addi tional vetoes (either),” he added. What is important, Annan ai^ed, is to have effective representation on the Security Council, and to make it more democratic, to ensure that voices of other regions are heard. ’’And I think that sort of change would not only make the decisions of the Council much more acceptable graier- ally but also the Council itself will gain in greater legitima cy And I think that is enough of an achievement for us to be able to move forward and not insist that if we cannot with draw the (existing) veto fiom the oth^ Five, we keep the status quo, That is the option,” he said. Bill Pace, general secretary of the World Federalist Movement, says that the expansion of the Security Council is an important goal “to revitalize the Coimcil’s representivity and legitima cy” You>e QUALIFIED To Buy A CAR with: • 6 mo, employ. $1,500 Dn. • $1,500 gross income Call: 704-493-4167- fun fashions for work and play historic south end 18(X) camden road charlotte 7(H.372.I002 SHOPElLEEN.COM eileen Discover The Great Taste of lM5®SlSl®S®l51SlS151SMSl5l5151S151Slil5l $1 Off any Dinner or Sandwich Combo Purchase (Valid only at Freedom Drive Location) Mon. - Thur. after 3pm THE CHARLOTTE POST (USPS 965-500) is published weekly for $40,00 per year by the Charlotte Post Publishing Co., 1531 Camden Rd. Charlotte, NC 28203-4753. Periodicals postage paid at Charlotte, NC. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to THE CHARLOTTE POST, PO Box 30144, Charlotte, NC 28230 Revocable Living Trust $449 or $549 Includes Living Will You decide your end of life decision We The People® Document Service Center 704-665-6353 Wills $99 Divorce $189/S389 Incorporations $369 & Much More Established 1985 -172 offices nationwide • Prices do not include filing fee 624 Tyvoia Rd. • Chariotte 704-665-6353 wethepeopieusa.com WASHINGTON - George L. Brown has been the kind of Democrat the Party has alwa}^ been able to rely on. Fifty years ago, he was elected to the Ck)lorado House of Representatives. A year later, he won the first of five terms as a state sena tor. And in 1974, he became lieutenant governor, the first Afiican-American elected to that post in the nation’s histo ry In 1972, he co-chaired the Party’s credentials committee with the late U.S. Rep. Barbara Jordan (D-Tfexas.) ‘Tve been a Democrat for a long time and I don’t see a lot of hope in the Republican Party” he says in an inter view. “But I am getting to the point where I don’t see a whole lot of hope in the Democrats.” Thaf s why he is co-chairing the National Black Peebles Unity Convention n^ Mardi 9-12 in Gary, Ind He is co- chair of the convention with former Gary Mayor Richaix^ Hatcher. They were part of the team that put together a similar Gary gathering in 1972. ‘Tou can’t ignore the fact that the underlining accom plishment of Gary was that the Democratic Party and the Republican Party to a lesser degree, changed after Gary in terms of access,” says Hatcher. “Up to that point. Blades did not serve m com mittees, very few black dele gates went to national con ventions. The role of Blacks vrithin the Party was extremely restricted. After Gary a lot of that changed” So did the political land scape, according to Brown. He ticks off a list of black office-holders: One U.S. sena tor, 43 membCTS of Congress, 168 state senators, neariy 400 . state representatives and more than 9,000 locally-elect ed officials. “All of those, if you want to be truthful about it, came as a result of Gary” Hatcher says. “One of our purposes was to increase our political power.” Even in political circles, prob lems still remain, says What they call free checking, we call a good start. EXTRA FREE CHECKING. ONLY AT WACHOVIA. You don’t have to settle for free when there’s extra free. Now you can get daily balance alerts by e-mail. Rewards points for everyday purchases. Over 5,000 ATMs. And Online Banking with BillPay. All for free. That's the way regular checking becomes Extra Free Checking. How satisfied areyou withyour hank ? Stop by your nearest VlMiovla Financial Center today call 800-VUACH0VIA (922-4684) or visit waGhovia.cani/eKtra8. ’W^HOVEA. Uncommon Wisdom We want you to know: FreeCheddng Is forper&onaJ accounts only. 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