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India abstains on resolution authorising use of force in Libya

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

New Delhi, March 18, IRNA -- India, along with four other members of the UN Security Council, abstained from the voting on a resolution that approves a no-fly zone over Libya and authorises 'all necessary measures' for protecting civilians there from Col Muammar Gaddafi's forces.

Ten of the 15-member body voted in favour of the resolution, but five nations -- China, Russia (which have veto power) and non-permanent members India, Germany and Brazil -- abstained from voting.

'This resolution calls for far-reaching measures but we never got answers to very basic questions,' said Indian envoy to UN Hardeep Singh Puri, pti reported quoting Puri as said. 'This entire exercise has been based on less than complete information.'

China's top diplomat in the UN Li Baodong also had similar rehensions. 'Many of those questions failed to be clarified or answered,' Li told UNSC after the vote.

India and other members of the Council voiced concerns about the absence of specific details on creating a no-fly zone as well as the lack of clarity on the source of assets for its implementation.

'Passing a resolution is an interactive process... if countries have doubts ... you try to remove them,' Puri said.

'I’m afraid that the two countries leading the process (UK and France) did not make the required effort.'

The current resolution also calls for an immediate ceasefire, which Russia had earlier proposed as a smaller resolution. But it never came to a vote because key countries felt that only a ceasefire resolution lacked teeth and would not deter Gaddafi.

Vitaly Churkin, the Russian envoy, warned 'outside force' could destabilise the Middle East and North African region and described the resolution as 'unfortunate and regrettable.'

The action came as the Libyan leader threatened to launch the final attack to push out rebels from Benghazi, the second largest city of the country. 'We are coming tonight,' Gaddafi has told rebel forces. 'There won't be any mercy.'

Resolution 1970, adopted on February 26, slapped sanctions on the Libyan regime, including an arms embargo, an asset freeze and travel ban on Gaddafi and his loyalists, and a referral to the Hague-based International Criminal Court.

However, Manjeev Singh Puri, India's deputy envoy to the UN, told the Security Council the international community had to 'mitigate and not exacerbate' the situation, and widening sanctions could hurt the economic interest of the Libyan people.