RUSSIA OPPOSES U.N. OBSERVER IN COOK IS.

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30678, 18 February 1965, Page 13

RUSSIA OPPOSES U.N. OBSERVER IN COOK IS.

(N.Z.P.A.-Reuter—Copyright 1 NEW YORK, February 17.

The Soviet Union yesterday moved to block the dispatch of a United Nations observer to supervise elections in the New Zealand - administered Cook Islands on April 2.

The New Zealand Government recently agreed to the recommendation of the United Nations Committee on Colonialism for United Nations-supervised elections. Acting shortly before the General Assembly had been expected to approve such a plan, the chief Soviet delegate. Dr. N. Fedorenko, said in a formal letter that the future of the islands could only be decided after General Assembly consideration.

U Thant, the SecretaryGeneral, last week recommended that the Assembly should agree to the dispatch of a United Nations representative and he had been expected to name someone for the post at yesterday’s meeting of the Assembly.

Dr. Fedorenko said in the letter, addressed to the Assembly president, Mr A. Quaison-Sackey: “The question of the future status of the Cook Islands is one of those questions of principle to be decided only after the situation in those islands is carefully examined in the General Assembly with the participation of representatives of the indigenous population and conditions are worked out that would ensure a genuine expression of the wills of the population of the Cook Islands.

“It would, therefore, be wrong mechanically to adopt a decision to send a United Nations observer to the Cook Islands without due consideration of the question in the Genera! Assembly. “Such an approach might create an unacceptable precedent for the solution of colonial questions. “In view of the above, the Soviet delegation does not consider it possible to support - the suggestion that a United Nations observer be sent to the Cook Islands.” U Thant has estimated the cost of sending the observer and his staff at 40,000 United States dollars.

The United Nations representative was to have observed constitutional proceedings in the newly-elected legislative assembly before reporting back to the Committee on Colonialism. New Zealand has informed

the Secretary-General that the form and nature of the Cook Islanders’ future status would be a major issue in the elections and at the meetings of the new legislative assembly resulting from it.

The Legislative Assembly, due to meet in May, was to decide whether the draft constitution prepared during the last two years should be brought into force. New Zealand said.