DHAKA, 24 April 2004 — Kuala Lumpur has threatened to push the selection of the next secretary-general of the Jeddah-based Organization of the Islamic Conference to a vote for the first time in the organisation’s 35-year history.
“This (vote) may be the only avenue available if Bangladesh and Turkey, who are also vying for the post, do not agree to a compromise,” Malaysian Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar was quoted as saying by diplomatic sources in Dhaka yesterday.
Bangladesh is a serious candidate for the same post. The prime minister’s parliamentary affairs adviser Salauddin Quader Chowdhury has been nominated for the post.
Some 35 OIC member countries have expressed their support for Bangladesh’s candidature. The latest country to back Dhaka’s bid is Djibouti. The commitment of unequivocal support has been conveyed in a letter addressed to Prime Minister Khaleda Zia by president of Djibouti Ismael Omar Guelleh. In his letter, President Guelleh said the Bangladesh candidate possesses the leadership qualities and the negotiating skills that are required to make the OIC more effective to advance the interests of the Islamic Ummah, Foreign Ministry officials said in Dhaka.
On the other hand, Morocco reiterated its unequivocal support to the Bangladesh candidacy, conveyed during the current visit of Foreign Minster M. Morshed Khan to Morocco.
The support was in response to a letter from Khaleda Zia to King Mohammed of Morocco, which was handed over by the foreign minister in Rabat.
Malaysia, besides fielding a candidate for the secretary-gerneral’s post, is also holding the offices of the OIC chairman and assistant secretary-general.
“If we cannot resolve this issue, given the fact that the tenure of the current secretary-general is coming to an end at the end of the year, I don’t think we should delay anymore. I think the best thing is to put it to a vote and let the OIC members decide if we cannot agree on the basis of negotiations,” the Malaysian minister said.
Hamid said this is an option in the light of the inability of the contending countries for the post to come to an agreement.
“We cannot leave the issue alone without any result achieved. If there is no compromise or agreement, this may be one occasion where we may have to go to a vote,” he said.
He cited the example of the Commonwealth where issues were put to a vote if consensus could not be reached.
Hamid said he is not arguing that voting is the best way to resolve the problem “but we cannot leave the issue hanging”.
“If we don’t resolve it, then the current secretary-general will be there still. And he will then exceed the mandate in our (OIC) agreement.”
