Zim Sanctions Draft Adds Two Names, Drops HIV / AIDS Issue, Thursday Vote?
By Matthew Russell Lee 
July 9, 2008
The Inner City Press 
Original Source: http://www.innercitypress.com/unsc4zimres070908.html

UNITED NATIONS, July 9 -- As the draft Zimbabwe resolution was finalized in preparation for a vote, late Wednesday if its sponsors get their way, the number of people subject to sanctions rose from twelve to fourteen, and an expression of strong concern about the suspension of medical assistance to HIV / AIDS patients was dropped from the resolution.
   The new draft emerged from a closed-door meeting in the UN's basement on Tuesday afternoon. Inner City Press asked South Africa's Ambassador Dumisani Kumalo for his explanation of the change. They took it out because it's not true, he said bluntly. 
   Non-governmental organizations operating in Harare tell Inner City Press that the change relates to an exemption the Zimbabwe government made to its restrictions on NGOs, that they could continue to serve HIV / AIDS patients.  But since the NGOs are not operating in many of the hospitals at issue, the exemption is less meaningful that it seemed.  It was enough, however, to get condemnation of the suspension of medical assistance to HIV / AIDS patients removed from the draft resolution.
  The Vietnamese president of the Council confirmed that the U.S. has asked for a vote on the Zimbabwe resolution on Wednesday evening. He said that some members have asked for more time, and that he is holding consultations on when the vote will take place. Inner City Press asked about the timing to vote on the Georgia resolution which Russia put forward on Tuesday. The theory continues to be promoted that Russia is seeking support for that draft, which calls on Georgia to commit to non-aggression in Abkhazia and, it seems, South Ossetia, in exchange for not vetoing the Zimbabwe resolution. Some even suggest that Russia only introduced the Georgia text for this purpose -- a suggestion which ignores that real-world bombings that have taken place in both breakaway republics. 
   There has been no request yet for a vote on the Georgia resolution, nor even a request to go into blue, meaning that a vote can be taken within 24 hours. The Zimbabwe draft went blue on Tuesday night, hence the American request that the vote take place Wednesday evening. Given these Ambassadors social schedules, the request may or may not be grandstanding. As he said, the Vietnamese president of the Council -- who clearly does not support the sanctions resolution -- will be holding consultations. 
Update 7:30 p.m. July 9 -- there will be no vote tonight, and the announced Security Council schedule for Thursday does not include Zimbabwe. Still, it could be added, and although Amb. Khalilzad will be in Washington, the resolution's proponents are saying that the vote will be Thursday. Watch this site.