Chile's Insulza on track to head OAS after Monday vote

by Laura Bonilla

Monday, May 2, 2005

WASHINGTON, USA (AFP):  Chilean interior minister Jose Miguel Insulza is set to be confirmed as head of the Western hemisphere's main international forum Monday, when members of the Organization of American States vote for a new leader.

Insulza, 61, a socialist, remains the only candidate in the race after his rival Mexican Foreign Minister Luis Ernesto Derbez withdrew Friday over concerns about a hemispheric split after a tie-break between the two in voting earlier this month.

Ballots will be cast Monday at OAS headquarters in Washington.

The United States twice found itself backing a losing candidate in the search for a new OAS chief, but ultimately played a key role in the decision toward a consensus candidate.

It was the first time in the OAS' almost 60 year history that the United States failed to impose its choice of candidate.

The US favorite until he withdrew in early April had been El Salvador's former president Francisco Flores. Washington then switched its support to Derbez.

But as she traveled in Latin America this week US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, on a four-nation visit to the region, showed support for having one consensus candidate.

According to Inter-American Dialogue president Peter Hakim the development is "a positive outcome."

"From the outset of her travels Condi recognized that a divided vote at the OAS could not be in US interest, and you'd essentially create a very difficult situation for the new secretary general ..." said Hakim.

"It's hard to imagine that her trip could have produced a more positive result," said Hakim, adding that Insulza would arrive in office with broad support, and Washington would vote for a candidate it had effectively selected.

Michael Shifter of the Center for Latin American Studies at Georgetown University said that while the development was a "coup" for the United States, it also served as a lesson, showing the necessity strategically of relating well with countries of the region.

One South American ambassador to the OAS, who asked to remain anonymous, called it "a victory for Chilean politics, for President Ricardo Lagos who personally led the campaign, and for all the countries that supported him and stood up to pressure without changing their vote."

But Insulza, two of whose chief backers have been Brazil and Venezuela, himself refused to point to US failure in his selection.

"Rice and the other ministers came here looking for a consensus, and that consensus was achieved," said Insulza. "Therefore the candidate of the United States right now is myself."

Panamanian President Martin Torrijos at the Inter-American Development Bank, when he heard of Derbez's withdrawal said: "Let's hope that this is the search for consensus that we've talked about ... I hope that it gives rise to unity."

Two nations, however, said Saturday they would not support the consensus.

Landlocked nation Bolivia, which is still at loggerheads with Chile after talks 27 years ago requesting ocean access collapsed, is most likely to abstain from voting for Santiago's candidate.

Bolivia had been among the group that backed Derbez who in five rounds of voting April 11 tied at 17 votes apiece with Insulza.

Peru also announced it would not vote for Insulza over an arms sale conflict dating from 1995. 

Although the OAS has 35 members, communist Cuba's exclusion from participation since 1962 leaves it without a vote.

The current acting OAS chief is Luigi Einaudi, after previous secretary general Miguel Angel Rodriguez, the former Costa Rican president, withdrew to face corruption charges in his home country.

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