McKinnon wins vote to remain Commonwealth head

By KEVIN NORQUAY

ABUJA - New Zealander Don McKinnon was today reappointed Commonwealth Secretary General, after a rare vote at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Nigeria.

Mr McKinnon beat back Sri Lankan Lakshman Kadirgamar by a vote reported to be 40-11.

Usually the Commonwealth resolves such issues by consensus, but the refusal of Sri Lanka to withdraw its candidate forced the vote.

Had Mr McKinnon, a former foreign minister, lost he would have been the first secretary general to have failed to win a second four-year term.

Mr McKinnon did not hold a press conference after he was appointed.

His victory was announced by Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien, who told reporters he did not know the Sri Lankan's name.

"There was a vote and it was counted very publicly for all the people inside -- there were 51," he said at a press conference.

"One won, and I have given you the name, I am not at liberty to give you the score.

"There was a candidate from Sri Lanka that I don't know, or if I know I never met him."

Mr Kadirgamar took an odd failure-doomed approach to running for the Commonwealth's top job.

He put his name forward as a challenger only a week ago.

He did not come to Nigerian capital Abuja for CHOGM, nor were the Sri Lankan prime minister and president at CHOGM to support of him.

It was an approach akin to putting in a job application then not bothering to go to the interview.

Prime Minister Helen Clark congratulated Mr McKinnon on his reappointment. She spoke to CHOGM this morning in support of him.

"The resounding result reflects well on a solid four years' work," she said.

Hours before the result she had said it was "important for the Commonwealth that people not be displaced at whim".

"It is not usual for Commonwealth Secretaries General to be flicked after one term when they are doing a perfectly satisfactory job."

Mr McKinnon was first appointed to the London-based job, effectively the head of the Commonwealth civil service, at Durban CHOGM in 1999.

His rival was seen as a focal point for some African countries to vent their unease over the treatment of Zimbabwe.

Zimbabwe was last year suspended from the Commonwealth after an election observers regarded as unfair.

Mr McKinnon, who has backed the tough stance on Zimbabwe advocated by Britain, Australia and New Zealand, is seen to be part of the "white Commonwealth".

Mr McKinnon did not hold a press conference after his victory, choosing to issue a statement instead.

"I feel very privileged and honoured to be working for the Commonwealth. The Commonwealth is a unique organisation which has a unique role to play in today s world, he said.

"When I was first appointed, I said that the Commonwealth needed to be relevant to the lives of Commonwealth people.

"I still believe this, and I am convinced there are many more ways in which we can make a difference in the future. We will continue to work towards that."

- NZPA