Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06DUBLIN134
2006-02-07 17:14:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Dublin
Cable title:
IRELAND TACITLY FAVORS VOSS FOR ICAO SECRETARY
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UNCLAS DUBLIN 000134
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL EAIR ICAO AU BE NL SZ IR EI
SUBJECT: IRELAND TACITLY FAVORS VOSS FOR ICAO SECRETARY
GENERAL
REF: A. STATE 12863
B. YOUNG-BARKS E-MAIL OF 2/3/06
UNCLAS DUBLIN 000134
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL EAIR ICAO AU BE NL SZ IR EI
SUBJECT: IRELAND TACITLY FAVORS VOSS FOR ICAO SECRETARY
GENERAL
REF: A. STATE 12863
B. YOUNG-BARKS E-MAIL OF 2/3/06
1. (SBU) Ireland supports U.S. candidate Bill Voss' bid for
the post of ICAO Secretary General, according to Robin McKay,
Department of Transport Principal Officer for Aviation
Regulation and International Relations, to whom Post
delivered ref A demarche on February 2. Ongoing discussions
among ABIS countries on the impending ICAO elections,
however, make it difficult for Ireland to express support for
Voss publicly.
2. (SBU) An additional complicating factor, said McKay, was
the dual-ticket dynamic of the elections for ICAO Secretary
General and President. He explained that when French
candidate Raymond Benjamin was pursuing the Secretary
General's post, the "shoe-in" ticket was Benjamin and Mexican
candidate Roberto Kobeh for ICAO President. Since Benjamin's
election as Secretary General would have preceded the
presidential vote, the Swiss were prepared to withdraw their
presidential candidate, Philippe Rochat, on the understanding
that Europeans could not occupy both posts. McKay pointed
out that Benjamin's withdrawal from the race had led the
Swiss to see renewed hope in Algerian Taieb Cherif's
candidacy for Secretary General, giving the Swiss, in turn,
more hope for Rochat as President. ABIS countries besides
Switzerland, however, recognized that a Cherif-Rochat ticket
would be the worst electoral outcome, since neither candidate
would push ICAO reform and, moreover, ABIS countries would
alienate the developing countries supporting Kobeh's
candidacy for President. The key, observed McKay, would be
perceptions of Voss's strength in the lead-up to the
Secretary General's election, which might lead the Swiss to
SIPDIS
"ease back" on Rochat's candidacy on the premise that an
American and a European could not hold ICAO's top posts.
McKay added that if, in the scenario of Voss' election,
Rochat remained in the President's race, Austria would have
to vote for him to avoid the embarrassing possibility that he
would receive no votes at all.
3. (SBU) Post also discussed ref A demarche with Department
of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Deputy Director for United Nations
Affairs, Brian Cahalane, who noted that the DFA would defer
to the Department of Transport as the lead agency on the ICAO
elections. According to Cahalane, the DFA was prepared to
defer to Transport mostly because Ireland, as an ABIS country
represented by Austria, would not be casting its own vote in
the ICAO elections. He added that he was in touch with McKay
about the elections, and he promised to pass ref A points to
other DFA offices with interests in international
organizations.
KENNY
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL EAIR ICAO AU BE NL SZ IR EI
SUBJECT: IRELAND TACITLY FAVORS VOSS FOR ICAO SECRETARY
GENERAL
REF: A. STATE 12863
B. YOUNG-BARKS E-MAIL OF 2/3/06
1. (SBU) Ireland supports U.S. candidate Bill Voss' bid for
the post of ICAO Secretary General, according to Robin McKay,
Department of Transport Principal Officer for Aviation
Regulation and International Relations, to whom Post
delivered ref A demarche on February 2. Ongoing discussions
among ABIS countries on the impending ICAO elections,
however, make it difficult for Ireland to express support for
Voss publicly.
2. (SBU) An additional complicating factor, said McKay, was
the dual-ticket dynamic of the elections for ICAO Secretary
General and President. He explained that when French
candidate Raymond Benjamin was pursuing the Secretary
General's post, the "shoe-in" ticket was Benjamin and Mexican
candidate Roberto Kobeh for ICAO President. Since Benjamin's
election as Secretary General would have preceded the
presidential vote, the Swiss were prepared to withdraw their
presidential candidate, Philippe Rochat, on the understanding
that Europeans could not occupy both posts. McKay pointed
out that Benjamin's withdrawal from the race had led the
Swiss to see renewed hope in Algerian Taieb Cherif's
candidacy for Secretary General, giving the Swiss, in turn,
more hope for Rochat as President. ABIS countries besides
Switzerland, however, recognized that a Cherif-Rochat ticket
would be the worst electoral outcome, since neither candidate
would push ICAO reform and, moreover, ABIS countries would
alienate the developing countries supporting Kobeh's
candidacy for President. The key, observed McKay, would be
perceptions of Voss's strength in the lead-up to the
Secretary General's election, which might lead the Swiss to
SIPDIS
"ease back" on Rochat's candidacy on the premise that an
American and a European could not hold ICAO's top posts.
McKay added that if, in the scenario of Voss' election,
Rochat remained in the President's race, Austria would have
to vote for him to avoid the embarrassing possibility that he
would receive no votes at all.
3. (SBU) Post also discussed ref A demarche with Department
of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Deputy Director for United Nations
Affairs, Brian Cahalane, who noted that the DFA would defer
to the Department of Transport as the lead agency on the ICAO
elections. According to Cahalane, the DFA was prepared to
defer to Transport mostly because Ireland, as an ABIS country
represented by Austria, would not be casting its own vote in
the ICAO elections. He added that he was in touch with McKay
about the elections, and he promised to pass ref A points to
other DFA offices with interests in international
organizations.
KENNY