Svend tal Van

Brady Fotheringham Contributing Writer

MP Svend Robinson, back from a visit to Kosovo in May, is searching for someone to listen.

Robinson, recentiy banished to his parn’s back benches for tabling a petition that called tor areference to God in the charter preamble to be removed, would much rather ralk about the war in Kosovo, Robinson teels the need to democra- tize the United Nations is long overdue, domu- nated as it is by one world power -- the United States.

Speaking before 20 NDP party faithful at a ueeting ast Thursday night at North Vancouver’s Capilano library, the Burnaby- Douglas MP lamented the uajust influence that the United Stares exerts on the UN Security Council and General Assembly.

“The last country in the world to be dictating things should be the U.S.,” Robinson said. ‘They don’t pay their (ON) dues and and they have subverted democracy in Chile.”

Travelling to Serbia and Kosovo in May, Robinson was one of the few politicians «ble to visit Kosovo after the 19-nation NATO bombing started in April. He met with senior government officials in Belgrade, refugees and opposition members attempting to “cut through the propa- ganda of war.”

Robinson sees Canada’s role in the Contact Group, the gathering of British, U.S., French, German, Russian and Italian powers that has directed Batkan policy since 1995, as that of a lap-dog.

“Canada fost a lot of respect in the past few months by being a lap-dog to the U.S. We nave squandered our good reputation. Another Liberal government under Lester Pearson played a good UN role in the Suez,” Robinson said.

Asked what he hoped to accomplish from his visit to Serbia and Kosovo, Robinson stressed the ability to witness the effects of ethnic cleansing

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SVEND Rebinson shared his experi- ence in Kosovo at a North Van library.

first-hand. As a senior member of the Forcign Affairs Committee, Robinson thinks his visit bol- stered his party’s image instead of promoting his own public reputation as some critics contend.

“Maybe there are some ignorant people who say that. If any, it enhanced our (party’s) stature,” Robinson said.

West Vancouver-Sunshine Coast Reform MP John Reynolds disagrees.

“The Kosovo visit was effective to him per- sonally. I don’t think we should te interfering in other nations. Going to war is dangerous. (The visic) was very damaging to his party,” Reynolds

aid.

In the fall, Robinson plans to chair a round- table meeting in Ottawa with non-governmental members over the future role of the UN.

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