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Tanzania replaced at Security Council
2007-01-04 10:03:25
By Guardian Reporter and Agencies
Tanzania`s seat to the United Nations Security Council, where the country has been non-permanent member over the last two years, has been taken over by South Africa.
As Tanzania was replaced, Russia assumed on Tuesday the rotating presidency of the U.N. Security Council, the world body`s most powerful organ, which has five new elected members.
The 15-nation council has five permanent members with veto power the United States, Russia, China, Britain and France and 10 elected nations, who rotate for two-year terms, five each year.
South Africa, Indonesia, Italy, Belgium and Panama took their seats as non-permanent members, replacing Tanzania, Argentina, Japan, Denmark and Greece.
Panama was the compromise candidate for Latin America after a protracted battle between Venezuela and Guatemala last year.
Remaining for another year on the council, whose decisions on peace and security are mandatory for all U.N. members, are Congo Republic, Ghana, Peru, Qatar and Slovakia.
The council’s presidency rotates monthly, according to the English alphabet, with Russian Ambassador Vitaly Churkin, taking over for January from Qatari Nassir Abdulaziz al-Nasser.
But campaigns to enlarge the council, whose permanent members are World War Two victors, have met with resistance over the last decade, despite nearly universal agreement that the body is dominated by industrial nations and omits such countries as Japan and Germany, the highest dues payers after the United States.
But each candidate for possible enlargement has had enough opposition to sink the attempt.
Tanzania joined UN Security Council as a non-permanent member in January 2005 after it scooped 186 out of 189 votes cast.
Other countries were Japan, Argentina, Denmark and Greece. They occupied their seats for two years.
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