Thanking the UN members for supporting the re-election of its judge to the International Court of Justice (ICJ), India on Tuesday said the election process reflects respect for its constitutional integrity and independent judiciary.
In the first detailed official response following Judge Dalveer Bhandari’s return to the ICJ at The Hague, the Government of India also expressed appreciation for the United Kingdom that chose to withdraw its candidate at the last moment.
“The UN Security Council and the General Assembly voted overwhelmingly in support of India. Judge Dalveer Bhandari received all 15 votes in the UN Security Council and 183 out of the 193 votes in the UN General Assembly. The extraordinary support from the UN membership is reflective of the respect for strong constitutional integrity of the Indian polity and independence of the judiciary in India,” said the Government of India in a press release.
Earlier, on the re-election of Judge Bhandari to fill the fifth vacancy for the 2018-2027 term, at the ICJ, Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated the diplomatic team headed by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj who had campaigned for the same.
In a message on the victory he said, “Congratulations to External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and her entire team at the Ministry of External Affairs and diplomatic missions for their untiring efforts that have led to India’s re-election to ICJ. Our gratitude to all the members of UN General Assembly as well as UN Security Council for their support and trust in India,” Mr Modi said in his message on his Twitter handle.
He also congratulated Judge Bhandari on being re-elected to the ICJ. “His election is a proud moment for us,” Mr. Modi remarked.
The Indian National Group to the Permanent Court of Arbitration had re-nominated Judge Bhandari as India’s candidate in June 2017. The Hindu had earlier reported that the election had become a contest between Judge Bhandari and the candidate of the United Kingdom Christopher Greenwood. In order to be appointed at the ICJ, the candidate would have required a majority in both the General Assembly and the Security Council of the UN.
The government statement acknowledged the long contest and said, “The UK decided to withdraw its candidate after a closely fought electoral process. We appreciate the UK decision.”
The re-election is also crucial as it ensures India’s continued influence at the ICJ where the Kulbhushan Jadhav case against Pakistan will come up next month.
PTI adds:
Swaraj congratulates Bhandari
Meanwhile, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj congratulated Justice Bhandari on his re-election to the ICJ and complimented her Ministry’s officials for their efforts in ensuring his success.
She made a special mention of India’s Permanent Representative in the U.N. Syed Akbaruddin while hailing her Ministry’s team.
“Congratulations to Justice Dalveer Bhandari on his re-election as a Judge of the ICJ. Huge efforts by Team — MEA.
Syed Akbaruddin @AkbaruddinIndia our Permanent Representative in UN deserves a special mention,” she said on Twitter.
Following his election, Ms. Swaraj had tweeted, “Vande Matram — India wins election to the International Court of Justice.