The foreign ministry is going to brief foreign diplomats here about impasse related to Friday’s election of Deputy Director General at the International Organisation for Migration (IOM).
Foreign Secretary M Shahidul Haque is one of the aspirants of the post and it has been suspended till Tuesday.
A foreign ministry official said, “We will explain our position and seek support from everybody to uphold the election rules of the organization.”
In a cliff-hanger high voltage election drama in Geneva, out of 148 vote cast, the Foreign Secretary secured 75 votes while his nearest competitor from Sudan got 73 in the fifth round.
As Shahidul got an absolute majority, he was declared a single candidate in accordance with IOM rules.
The IOM Legal Council decided to hold a yes-no vote for Shahidul to prove two-third support for him but African Union in which Sudan is a member opposed it. Later the election session chaired by Ethiopia decided to suspend the election till Tuesday.
IOM rule 38 (1) said, “Decisions of the Council and of all subcommittees shall be made by a majority of the members present and voting, subject to the provisions contained in paragraphs 2 and 3 of this Rule.”
IOM rule 38 (4) said, “For the purpose of these Rules, the phrase ‘members present and voting’ means members casting an affirmative or negative vote. Members which abstain from voting are considered as not voting.”
Another official said, “Our demand is legitimate and we want the organization to follow the voting rules and we are engaging in Dhaka, Geneva and other places so that they support in this endeavor.”
In the election, four other aspirants were also vying for the post and those are from Sudan, Afghanistan, the Philippines and Jordan.
The election heated up as in the first round the foreign secretary secured second position and situation remained same till the fourth round.
While Jordan and the Philippines quit early in the race, Afghanistan withdrew after the fourth round. As an Asian candidate, Shahidul bagged most of the votes of the continent and made it to the top position.
The election started on Friday 2pm Bangladesh time to elect the second man of the UN body which looks after the global governance of migration, a subject very important for Bangladesh.
In a tweet message on Jun 16, the foreign secretary said, “I am often asked about my most rewarding experience as a migration enthusiast. The answer has always been simple but NOT the task – it’s never been about a specific day of my life but the ability to constantly serve for dignity and rights of migrants.”
In a column published in Project Syndicate on Thursday, he proposed to establish a new migration framework to ensure right and dignity of migrants.
A popular face in the migration world, Shahidul used to be in the IOM and worked there for 11 years at senior level posts on lien. He left the organization in 2012 and became the foreign secretary in 2013.
The secretary went to retirement on Dec 31 last year but got an extension for a year. He also elevated to senior secretary post last year.