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Foreign Minister Ban Ki-moon remains the front-runner for the next UN secretary-general after three straw polls in the Security Council, but a leading British newspaper alleges that may not be because he is the best man for the job.
The Times said Friday the Korean government ¡°has pledged millions of dollars in aid and offered other incentives to members of the United Nations Security Council to secure its candidate as the next UN secretary-general.¡± Under the sardonic headline, ¡°Millions of dollars and a piano may put Korean in UN's top job¡± and the subtitle ¡°Aid campaign is crucial in race to succeed Kofi Annan,¡± the day¡¯s top story in the paper¡¯s online edition broadly hints that the Korean government may be using means other than Ban¡¯s impeccable credentials to ensure he gets the job.
As examples of ¡°aid diplomacy,¡± the newspaper cites Korea¡¯s tripling of its aid budget for African countries to US$100 million in February, the tens of thousands of pounds it contributed to sponsoring this year¡¯s African Union summit in the Gambia in July, and its donation of $180 million for an education program in Tanzania, a temporary member of the UN Security Council.
The Foreign Ministry denied the two issues are linked. A ministry official said the overseas development aid plans were made several years before Ban decided to run for the post. ¡°It is groundless to connect the aid to Ban¡¯s election campaign,¡± he said. The minister himself told reporters that he was well aware that he could become a target of attacks since he is the front-runner.
(englishnews@chosun.com )
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