UN Election Chief Perelli Ousted on Eve of Iraq Polling Posted by Suzanne Nossel

I just stumbled on this while previewing tomorrow's New York Times:  Carina Perelli, head of the UN's election arm expects to be dismissed Monday as a result of a management review that found she demeaned staffers and created a work environment rife with sexual innuendo.

I have no idea if the charges, which Perelli vehemently denies but have been around for a while, are true.   But whether this is a case of grave managerial abuse or a errant cabal out to get one of the UN's rising stars, the development is bad news for both the UN and for those who support it.

Thanks in no small part to Perelli, running elections has emerged as one of the UN's core competencies, and a task that - because of its international credibility - the organization is well-placed to carry out virtually anywhere in the world when outside assistance is needed.  Back in May election assistance made my list of the Top 10 Things the UN Does Well.

The charges against Perelli have been around since at least March.   Yet she claims not to have ever been approached about the possibility of quietly resigning.  Why not?  If there was no choice but ouster, why not do the deed over the summer when the highest-profile elections were months away?  Or wait until January when all the Iraqi ballots are counted and attention has turned away?

In light of the high stakes associated with maintaining the public image of one of its most effective arms, an entity set apart from oil for food and the UN's other scandals, its hard to imagine Kofi Annan could not have avoided the equivalent of the army ousting the commanding officer a week before the planned invasion is to start.   

Governments, corporations and organizations are constantly faced with the problem of easing out bad managers.   There are ways of doing these things that avoid firestorms, and the UN has faced far to many scandals not to have developed tactics to avoid this needless Perelli embarrassment.

As Mort discussed Friday one reason US Ambassador John Bolton is counterproductive at the UN is that he is so frustrated with the organization's failures that his rash, impracticable proposals for change go nowhere and actually impede tangible progress.  I will address this point in relation to the UN budget debate later this week.  But in the meantime, its worth remembering that while his tactics are often singularly ineffectual, Bolton's frustration is not without some basis.

Comments

[2moons dil]

The game gives me a lot happy,so I often go to earn the 2moons gold.Sometimes my friends will give some 2moon dil. I began to no longer satisfy with the present equipment, so I have to find a friend, a friend gave me a thing.I would not go to buy 2moons dil,i like the game very much.If you want to play it,join us and then cheap 2moons gold.Please do not hesitate to play the game.

[dofus kamas]

I hope i can get kamas in low price.
Ibuy dofus kamas for you.
dofus gold is present for you.
Do you like cheap kamas?

[hero gold]

If you have hero gold, you can get more. If you gave hero online gold to me, I still have my idea to achieve.

[runescape money]

I hope i can get runescape gold in low price,
Yesterday i bought cheap rs gold for my friend.

[rs gold]

I like the runescape gold, my brother usually
buy runescape for me. I appriciate him.

[9 Dragons gold]

Once I played 9Dragons, I did not know how to get strong, someone told me that you must have 9Dragons gold. That he gave me some 9 Dragons gold.

[cheap coach handbags]

Thank you for your sharing! I like i very much!

[Yuri]

wow, this Bostancı Halı Yıkama is the first time that I've heard your actual Acıbadem Halı Yıkama due date - June 2nd is my birthday! Halı Yıkama Türkiye It's a good Kadıköy Halı Yıkama birthday - summer birthday parties, Erenköy Halı Yıkama halfway til Ataşehir Halı Yıkama christmas (so new toys every 6 months), and being a gemini is fun! The only downside is being Çamlıca Halı Yıkama younger Acıbadem Halı Yıkama than most of the other kids in your grade (longer wait to get a Üsküdar Halı Yıkama driver's license, legally get into bars, etc). I hope your baby ends up sharing Bostancı Temizlik a birthday with me!