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US gets support from China, Pak but vote on Iraq delayed
United Nations, Oct 16: The United States has picked up important support from China and Pakistan for its new Iraq resolution, and US Secretary of State Colin Powell predicted `a successful vote`.
United Nations, Oct 16: The United States has picked up important support from China and Pakistan for its new Iraq resolution, and US Secretary of State Colin Powell predicted "a successful vote".
But Russia's UN ambassador Sergey Lavrov asked for voting to be postponed until today so the leaders of France, Russia and Germany could discuss the final draft and decide whether or not to support the resolution.
The three countries, which opposed the US-led war on Iraq, had called on the United States to reverse itself and agree to a speedy handover of power to Iraqis. The United States late on Tuesday rejected their key demand to add a timetable for the transfer of sovereignty to the resolution.
US ambassador John Negroponte, the current Security Council president, had delayed consultations on the us draft for four hours, pushing it back to yesterday evening. He had asked all 15 council nations to be prepared to vote after that closed-door meeting. As he headed into consultations, Negroponte said the request for a delay would be discussed by the council.
"What I want to stress is that there is real movement towards greater consensus in the council on the basis of our draft text," the US ambassador said.
Several wavering council nations backed his view. "I think our attitude has become more and more positive," said China's UN ambassador Wang Guangya, who had supported the French-Russian-German amendments. "If a vote is taken I hope that there will be more members supporting this draft."
Pakistan's UN ambassador Munir Akram, whose country was considered a swing vote, said as he headed into consultations, "We will vote for the resolution." Bureau Report
The three countries, which opposed the US-led war on Iraq, had called on the United States to reverse itself and agree to a speedy handover of power to Iraqis. The United States late on Tuesday rejected their key demand to add a timetable for the transfer of sovereignty to the resolution.
US ambassador John Negroponte, the current Security Council president, had delayed consultations on the us draft for four hours, pushing it back to yesterday evening. He had asked all 15 council nations to be prepared to vote after that closed-door meeting. As he headed into consultations, Negroponte said the request for a delay would be discussed by the council.
"What I want to stress is that there is real movement towards greater consensus in the council on the basis of our draft text," the US ambassador said.
Several wavering council nations backed his view. "I think our attitude has become more and more positive," said China's UN ambassador Wang Guangya, who had supported the French-Russian-German amendments. "If a vote is taken I hope that there will be more members supporting this draft."
Pakistan's UN ambassador Munir Akram, whose country was considered a swing vote, said as he headed into consultations, "We will vote for the resolution." Bureau Report