MFA OFFERS VOTE SWAP ON U.S. ICTY NOMINEE

UNCLAS QUITO 002761

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR IO/UNP, S/WCI, L/UNA

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KJUS PHUM EC
SUBJECT: MFA OFFERS VOTE SWAP ON U.S. ICTY NOMINEE

REF: STATE 218465


1. In response to Reftel, the Embassy October 12 delivered to
the Ecuadorian foreign ministry a non-paper and CV in support
of Judge Theodor Meron, the USG's candidate for re-election
to the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former
Yugoslavia. In a follow-up meeting October 14, Luis
Arellano, the MFA's office director for UN affairs, told
Poloff that Ecuador's UN mission was receiving CVs and
candidacy letters from numerous countries. In early
November, the mission would assemble the package, attach a
recommendation, and pouch the materials to Quito for the
MFA's final determination.


2. Arellano agreed that Judge Meron's qualifications were
impressive, but offered no hint of Ecuador's intended vote.
The GoE had no candidate in the ICTY election, but was
looking for USG support for MFA Legal Advisor Marcelo
Vasquez, Ecuador's nominee for the International Law
Commission. Aware (from prior Embassy demarches) the USG did
not engage in vote trading, Arellano nonetheless pitched a
tit-for-tat arangement.


3. Post requests instructions should Department wish to
break from standard practice and support a vote swap for the
USG's ICTY candidate.
KENNEY