Malta’s election to become a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council in New York was uncontested and there were no other countries vying for the island’s seat on last Thursday’s ballot sheet, The Shift is informed.
UN sources told The Shift that while Malta’s ‘election’ is still an important political development for a small country in its participation in the world’s stage, “things must still be kept in perspective and reported correctly”.
“It is a positive development that after 40 years Malta is once again participating in the Security Council. However, the government’s hype, exacerbated by the mainstream independent media as some vote of confidence is an insult to the public’s intelligence,” a senior diplomat told The Shift.
Following the ‘election’ of Malta and four other countries to the 15-member Security Council for the next two years, both Prime Minister Robert Abela and Foreign Minister Ian Borg boasted about how Malta got “a strong mandate” from the rest of the UN members.
Prime Minister Abela commenting on the ‘strong vote’
However, last Thursday’s election was a mere formality as no other country contested Malta for the seat.
With the seats’ availability subdivided according to regions, only Malta and Switzerland ran for the two vacant seats available for Western Europe.
According to UN rules, voting members do not have the option to vote ‘no’ in the secret ballot, but only to abstain.
However, Minister Ian Borg emphasised that Malta was elected by a 97.3% margin of the vote. Tweeting immediately after the results were out, Prime Minister Abela dubbed Malta’s result “a strong mandate”.
Ian Borg vaunting Malta’s showing in an uncontested election
Malta obtained 185 votes out of the 193 members. It is not known which countries abstained from endorsing Malta.
Apart from Malta and Switzerland, the UN also endorsed the candidature of Japan, Ecuador and Mozambique.
The 15-member UN security council consists of 15 members, with five permanent seats (US, Russia, China, France and the UK) while the remainder rotate every two years.
The permanent members enjoy a veto, meaning that all major decisions are taken by them.
The muvument korrot takes advantage of everything to mislead. I hope that ian did not orgasm
That depends whether the newly aquired seat includes felling every tree in sight.
Bhal Bernard mela. Dak wkoll tellaq wahdu.
Imma kemm ftahru bil-kobor tal-mandat.
The gravy train beckons for the selected few?
This article reminds me of an old joke where one was asked about the difference between bullshit and cow shit….the funny answer being that cow shit comes back down but bullshit doesn’t! I bet Ian and Robert are well versed on both types of shit.
It is very embarrassing to see prime Minister Robert Abela misleading the country with his interpretation regarding Malta’s election to Security Council. It only shows his immaturity in diplomatic circles.
Presumably only half of the eligible voters have even heard of Malta?
(Malta barely has the population to make it into the 100 largest cities in Europe).
Didn’t Switzerland have an even better result?
The pathetic boasting seems to be just a distraction:
Maybe distraction from the fact that ROBBER Abela hired the dud Angelo Gafá? Distraction from the fact that Malta continues to be grey-listed?
Distraction from how the PL is looting Malta?
Distraction from …
Maybe they are proud that the MAFIA is represented for the first time?
Pathetic Government!
Malta does not deserve this.