Musharraf cautious on U N reform plan

MEXICO CITY, Dec 3 (Reuters): Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf and Mexican President Vicente Fox have expressed backing for reforming the United Nations but Musharraf said he opposed enlarging the Security Council.

The two leaders also voiced support for U N Secretary-General Kofi Annan, under fire amid suspicions of misconduct within the defunct U N-administered oil-for-food program in Iraq.

Musharraf, in Mexico to meet government officials and business leaders, said he did not back a proposal this week to add members to the Security Council, the most powerful U N body.

"Pakistan is of the view that we need to take a very holistic view of reforming the U N and restructuring the U N Security Council," Musharraf said yesterday, adding the views of Pakistan and Mexico were similar.

"When we talk of reforming the Security Council, Pakistan is against the creation or increase in the centers of power and centers of privilege by increasing the number of permanent members in the Security Council because we feel this goes against the principle of sovereign equality of nations," said the Pakistani leader, the first to visit Mexico.

UN reform recommendations were released on Wednesday by a high-level panel.

The Security Council has five permanent members with a veto, the United States, Britain, France, China and Russia, and 10 rotating members without vetoes.

The panel has proposed adding six permanent members but without the power of veto.

Fox said Mexico backed incorporating regional representation into the Security Council.

The day the report came out, Minnesota Republican Sen.

Norm Coleman, investigating corruption in the oil-for-food program, called for Annan to resign because he had to be held "accountable for the U N's utter failure to detect or stop" abuses of the program by ousted Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein.

Representatives of Argentina, Algeria, Britain, China, Colombia, Egypt, France, Germany, Italy, Mexico, Morocco, Pakistan, Russia, South Korea, Spain and Turkey have rallied behind Annan, although Washington has not taken a position.

"I know the secretary-general, Kofi Annan, and I know him to be an extremely honorable man.

I can't imagine him being involved in any scandal," Musharraf said.

Fox called the secretary-general "an honest person and an important leader."