Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07COLOMBO867
2007-06-19 12:36:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Colombo
Cable title:
IRAN DELAYS APPROVAL OF NEW COLOMBO PLAN HEAD
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C O N F I D E N T I A L COLOMBO 000867
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR SCA/INS
MCC FOR D NASSIRY AND E BURKE
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/12/2017
TAGS: PGOV PREL PTER PHUM MOPS CE
SUBJECT: IRAN DELAYS APPROVAL OF NEW COLOMBO PLAN HEAD
REF: COLOMBO 836
Classified By: Ambassador Robert O. Blake, Jr., for reasons 1.4(b,d).
C O N F I D E N T I A L COLOMBO 000867
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR SCA/INS
MCC FOR D NASSIRY AND E BURKE
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/12/2017
TAGS: PGOV PREL PTER PHUM MOPS CE
SUBJECT: IRAN DELAYS APPROVAL OF NEW COLOMBO PLAN HEAD
REF: COLOMBO 836
Classified By: Ambassador Robert O. Blake, Jr., for reasons 1.4(b,d).
¶1. (C) On June 18, the Colombo Plan Council held a special
session to confirm the nomination of Malaysian candidate
Patricia Yoon-Moi Chia as the new Secretary-General. Chia
had been selected by the Colombo Plan Selection Committee on
June 11 (ref) from a short-list of four candidates.
¶2. (C) Iranian Ambassador Benham Behrouz, however, chose
not to endorse Chia during yesterday's session citing
concerns about the selection process. Behrouz, who was
accompanied by Iranian attach Mohsen Ataelahi, argued that
there was a lack of transparency in the selection process and
wanted to know what criteria were used to short-list the
candidates. Behrouz emphasized that he did not object to
Chia individually, nor did he dispute the judgment of the
selection committee. Behrouz was dissatisfied with the
response given by current Colombo Plan President and
Pakistani Ambassador Shahzad A. Chaudhry, who argued that the
process cannot be changed after-the-fact. Following a brief
recess and a private conversation between Chaudhry and
Behrouz, the President chose to delay the official nomination
until Behrouz consulted Tehran. The remaining members in
attendance endorsed Chia.
¶3. (C) Ambassador spoke with Chaudhry later who said he has
asked the Iranians to consider the needs of the organization
and not delay the process further. He has given Iran a week
to make its position clear. Chaudhry noted there were no
procedural grounds for Iran to object to the exclusion of
their candidate. He commented that if the Iranians continue
to block consensus after a week, he will consult with
Ambassador and others. "We can't let Iran hijack the
process," he said, even if it means changing the constitution.
BLAKE