India in the hunt for crucial ICJ berth

WASHINGTON: After a weekend of hectic diplomatic parleys, India is still in the hunt for votes needed to install Dalveer Bhandari in the International Court of Justice for a second nine-year term, ahead of a crucial decision on the fate of Kulbhushan Jadhav, jailed by Pakistan on allegations of being an Indian spy.

“The prediction of the elections is not an exact science,” said an Indian diplomat, hours before the UN General Assembly and the Security Council start a final round of voting to pick either Bhandari or Britain’s Christopher Greenwood.

To win, a candidate must secure an absolute majority in both the General Assembly and the Security Council, which will vote concurrently but not independently.

The General Assembly was easy for India, getting 115 votes in the final round last week, way past the cut-off mark of 97. But the Security Council, of which Britain is a permanent member, has been a tougher proposition. Greenwood won nine of the 15 votes, securing a majority.

If Bhandari fails to be elected, India would be at a disadvantage when the Jadhav case comes up for hearing in December.

Britain too needs a win — a British judge has always been on the court since 1946.

THE HAGUEBASED ICJ HAS 15 JUDGES. SIX CANDIDATES WERE IN THE FRAY FOR FIVE SEATS THIS MONTH, AND FOUR CANDIDATES WERE CHOSEN LAST THURSDAY.