UN Council deadlocked on Palestinian bid: Report

The UN Security Council is deadlocked on whether to accept or reject Palestine as a member of the United Nations, according to a draft report of a key committee obtained Tuesday.The committee was unable to make a unanimous recommendation to the Security Council, said the report by the committee on admitting new UN members, adding to the troubles faced by the Palestinian application made by president Mahmud Abbas on September 23.The United States has vowed to block any approval given by the 15-member Security Council but its membership committee still has to consider the bid.The draft report avoids saying which countries supported or opposed the bid and whether there was a majority in favor or against. It said simply that differing views were expressed.The Palestinians have heralded their success in joining UNESCO where a majority vote of the agencys main conference accepted membership.The route to full UN acceptance is packed with obstacles however.The membership committee will meet on Friday when it must decide what action to take on the Palestinian demand. The report could be changed.Any final vote on the bid at the full Security Council would need nine votes in favor, without any veto by one of the five permanent members. At the moment, the best diplomatic estimate gives them eight votes.Brazil, China, India, Lebanon, Russia and South Africa have publicly backed the Palestinian case. Nigeria and Gabon have not indicated their vote but are expected to back the admission.The United States has said it will veto and Britain, Colombia and France announced at a meeting of the committee last week that they would abstain.Germany has not yet announced its stance, but is expected to abstain or vote no, diplomats said. Portugal and Bosnia are expected to abstain.Portugal, current president of the Security Council, will now try to amend the committees report to get a consensus, diplomats said, while predicting that it would be virtually impossible.The membership committee cannot make a recommendation to the Security Council unless it has consensus, diplomats stressed.Council members are now waiting for the Palestinians to indicate whether they want a full vote on the Security Council. Normally this will be made through Lebanon as the current Arab member of the body.