UN Rejects U.S. Lawmakers' Bid for Vote Observers

[UpInArms]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=615&ncid=703&e=7&u=/nm/20040708/pl_nm/campaign_un_observers_dc

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - U.N. observers will not monitor the U.S. presidential election, despite a request by some Democratic lawmakers who fear a repeat of the disputed 2000 Florida vote, U.N. officials said Thursday.

Thirteen Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives had asked the world body to send an observer mission to safeguard the rights of American voters in the Nov. 2 election. They cited the Florida recount battle four years ago ultimately decided by the U.S. Supreme Court (news - web sites). Republican George W. Bush won the state by 537 votes, giving him the White House.

"We are deeply concerned that the right of U.S. citizens to vote in free and fair elections is again in jeopardy," the lawmakers wrote U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan (news - web sites) last week.

The United Nations (news - web sites) said it could not act on a plea from legislators.

"The policy and practice is that the United Nations responds to requests made by national governments and not the legislative branch," U.N. spokeswoman Marie Okabe said.

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[Lindacooks]

1. What sitting government would request this??

Chimpy et al are hardly going to request any election overseers. That response doesn't make any sense.

[yankeeinlouisiana]

2. Does it have to be our government?

"United Nations responds to requests made by national governments"

Could another government ask on our behalf?

Canada, Germany, France? :shrug:

[PoliticsSportsMusic]

3. *ush,being the fair man that he is....

will request that the UN be present just as a show a good faith since the 2000 elections were in question.....oh what a wonderful world it would be if we really had a leader like that.