Move To Force Vote In U.N.

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30678, 18 February 1965, Page 14

Move To Force Vote In U.N.

(N.Z.P.A.- Reuter—Copyright) NEW YORK, February 17. Albania yesterday formally requested an end to the U.N. General Assembly’s moratorium on voting. The demand for a roll-call vote on the issue raised the possibility of an immeidate challenge to the franchise of the principal debtor states, including Russia.

Mr Halim Budo, the Al- i banian delegate, blamed i both the United States < and Russia for the state i of affairs that had pre- 1 vented the Assembly i from taking action on i any controversial matter ’ since the session opened last December 1. s A burst of applause greeted his proposal. China is behind Albania’s threat to force a showdown in the U.N. over peace-keep-ing dues, many delegates believe. In some circles, the Albanian move is regarded as another mark of China’s anger over U.S. bombing of North Vietnam. Mr Budo criticised both the United States and the Soviet Union, saying: “We cannot tolerate the dominance of the United Nations by two powers at the expense of all the other members.”

President Quaison-Sackey said the entire membership had agreed to the voteless procedure "in an overwhelming desire not to have a confrontation at the present session.”

He appealed to Mr Budo not to press his motion, but the Albanian insisted.

After conferring with U.N. legal experts near bis chair, Mr Quaison-Sackey adjourned the meeting for 48 hours. Mr Budo’s move was a challenge to the United States, Which daims it can

muster the two-thirds vote needed to invoke article 19 of the U.N. Charter which would deprive the Soviet Union, France and 11 other nations—which are two years in arrears—of their assembly vote.

The Soviet Union has threatened to walk out of the U.N. if article 19 is applied. A message from Djakarta says Pakistan and Cambodia are likely to follow Indonesia out of the United Nations.