The United States agreed to postpone a Security Council vote on a draft resolution on Iraq's future until Thursday morning, US Ambassador to the United Nations John Negroponte said Wednesday.
"We had good consultations. The resolution will be put to a vote at 10 tomorrow morning. I think I can safely say that we see positive movement towards greater consensus in the council on the basis of the US text that has been put forward," Negroponte told reporters after emerging from consultations.
Asked what kind of revisions the United States had made in the draft, Negroponte said one of the changes made was that the special representative of the UN secretary-general would have greater scope for action.
A revised version of the draft resolution, obtained by Xinhua, says the Security Council requests the Authority (the US-led coalition), in cooperation as appropriate with the Iraqi Government Council and the UN secretary-general, to report to the council on the progress being made in returning governing responsibilities and authorities to the people of Iraq. The previous text only requests the Authority to report to the council.
Another amendment, Negroponte said, had to do with the expiration of the mandate of the multinational force that would be deployed in Iraq if the resolution was endorsed. The amendment made it clear of how and under what circumstances the mandate might be terminated and under what conditions it could be renewed once there was an elected sovereign government of Iraq, he said.
Asked what kind of impact he expected the resolution would have if it was endorsed, Negroponte said, the authorization of a multinational force could make it easier for a number of countries that consider sending troops to Iraq.
Speaking earlier to reporters after the Security Council consultations, British Ambassador to the UN Joens Parry said, "In my sense, the text, now in final form on the table, is one which has been well received by my colleagues in the council." Britain is one of the co-sponsors of the US draft resolution on Iraq's future.
Earlier, Russia demanded a postponement of the vote on the US-sponsored draft.
(Xinhua News Agency October 16, 2003)
