Karzai Slams UN Security Council Structure as ‘Undemocratic’

11 years ago | Posted in: Latest Politics News | 780 Views

President Hamid Karzai on Thursday criticised the structure of the United Nations Security Council, saying at the 5th Bali Democracy Forum in Indonesia that it was not democratic.

Karzai said the UN Security Council cannot represent all of the world when the relationship between the Council and the UN General Assembly is not democratic.

“The Security Council does not represent all of us,” Karzai told the forum in his address.

“The five permanent members of individual powers aren’t democratic, the relationship between the Security Council and the General Assembly is not democratic – and of course we all wish it to be democratic. How do we get there? Afghanistan is too small and insignificant to make an impact, but we will talk. Democracy allows us that – the freedom of speech,” he said.

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan also slammed the power of the council, citing the conflict in Syria.

He criticised its structure of only five individual countries holding veto powers and 10 non-permanent members with no veto power which meant the “fate of humanity” was in the hands of only five countries.

“If you leave the decision of the whole world to only five countries, it will eliminate the world. Conflicts between the UN structures have encouraged the Syrian regime to kill its people,” he said. “It’s a shame for all the globe to see dozens of people getting killed,” he added.

Two of the veto five, China and Russia, have voted against resolutions for the UN to take action in Syria.

Iranian president Mahmood Ahmadinejad said in his address at the conference that the US election has turned into a “battleground for capitalists”, pointing to the amount of money spent on running the election.

“An election, which is one of the manifestations of the people’s will, has become a battleground for the capitalists, and an excuse for hefty spending,” Ahmadinejad said a day after Barack Obama was re-elected as US president.

“Look at the situation in Europe and the US: elections should be democratic but only a number of wealthy people run for the election and spend millions to gain power and prevent the independent, honest and hard-working people from running for election,” he said.

US analysts have estimated that around $6 billion was spent in this year’s US election, making the 2012 general election the most expensive in American history.

Leaders from 11 regional countries are attending the two-day forum which aims to promote democracy and peace in Asia and Oceana. It is co-chaired by Indonesian president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard and their South Korean counterpart Lee Myung Bak.

www.tolonews.com

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