Bush lobbied on UN
Caretaker Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra wrote a letter to US President George W Bush last month informing him that Deputy Prime Minister Surakiart Sathirathai remained the Thai and Asean candidate for the UN's top job, an informed source told The Nation yesterday.
Following the house dissolution on February 26, the caretaker government circulated a memo to all foreign missions in Bangkok confirming that Surakiart remained the Thai candidate. Surakiart is facing two other Asian candidates, from Sri Lanka and South Korea. All major Asian countries have said the next UN secretary-general should be Asian. China also prefers an Asian candidate. UN Security Council members will make their decision later in the year. A decision usually comes at the last minute. Last September Thaksin and Surakiart met Bush at the White House during a working visit. Thaksin introduced Surakiart to the president, but Bush would not be drawn on any commitment to the Thai candidate.
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