President, Secretary General, France, USSR, USA commenting in the Security Council discussion.




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Background: The United Nations Security Council postponed a scheduled discussion of several resolutions on the Dominican Republic on Thursday (18 May) to discuss whether or not a representative of the Dominican Republic should be seated at the debate. The would-be representative, who was not present at the discussion, was Ruben Brache, a Dominican businessman living in New York City. The foreign minister of the Santo Domingo rebel government had requested that Sr. Brache be heard. (The junta opposing the rebels in Santo Domingo has nominated Guaroa Velazquez as its candidates. Sr. Velazquez was the Dominican ambassador to the United Nations during the regime of Donald Reid Cabral)
The President of the Security Council, R dhakrishna Ramani of Malaysia, suggested to the group that the proposed Dominican representative did not appear to be entitled to a seat. U Thant, the Secretary General, said he had not received credentials from Sr. Brache.

Both Roger Seydoux of France and Nikolai Fedorenko of the Soviet Union took the position that a representative of Dominica, preferably of the rebel regime, should be admitted to the debate. Adlai Stevenson speaking for the United States, disagreed. He said in effect that no Dominican should be admitted as a representative because there did not appear to be any Dominican government in power for the representative to represent.

The questions was discussed for about two hours; then the Council decided to postpone a decision and adjourned.