Written by: Beck

Despite dwindling support and increasing pressure from all sides, Kofi Annan can still count on one staunch supporter: the EU.

Although UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan received unqualified support from most of the 191 member states of the United Nations, UN officials and diplomats fear that the loss of support from the United States may undermine the organization beyond repair.

On Friday, the European Union threw its political weight behind the beleaguered UN Chief but the United States again refused to back him and a US senator reiterated his call for the UN chief to resign.

But Mr Annan has the crucial backing of the four other veto-wielding members on the UN Security Council - Russia, China, Britain and France.

In a show of support from the powerful European Union, the ambassador of the Netherlands, which currently holds the EU presidency, went to Annan's 38th floor office at UN headquarters on Friday morning to express support to the secretary-general on behalf of the 25-nation bloc.

[...] On Thursday, President Bush sidestepped a question about Mr Annan's resignation calls saying "I look forward to the full disclosure of the facts, a good, honest appraisal of that which went on." This was construed as a signal that White House is angry with Mr Annan and wants him to leave.

Several diplomats and UN Officials fear that the United States which contributes almost 25 per cent of the UN dues--most of any other country since its inception--may halt the payments as it did during the Reagan and Clinton administrations which can undermine UN reforms now on the world body's agenda.

I must say, it'd be a hell of a lot easier to swallow the unremitting stream of abuse the United States receives from the UN were we not paying a quarter of the tab.

In other news, the opposition has endured a minor setback in Ukraine as the Ukrainian parliament failed to pass a package of election law reforms aimed at ensuring a relatively fraud-free election the second time around. Precisely what the next step is for Yushchenko & company is up in the air; regardless, as it happens, I'll be, er, posting further updates.

It's what I do.

And in case you haven't voted for the 2004 Weblog Awards in the past 24 hours, go do so. Now. And vote for the ultimate underdog--INCITE.