Kofi Annan is in hot water over the Oil for Food scandal, but that’s not the reason for this unusual development: UN workers to condemn chief. (Thanks to all who emailed.)

NEW YORK - United Nations employees were reportedly preparing last night to issue a historic vote of no confidence in scandal-plagued chief Kofi Annan.

The UN staff union, in what officials said was the first vote of its kind in the UN’s history, was set to approve a resolution withdrawing its support for the embattled Secretary-General and UN management.

Mr Annan has been in the line of fire over a high-profile series of scandals including a UN aid program that investigators said allowed Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein to embezzle billions of dollars.

But staffers said the trigger for the no-confidence measure was an announcement this week that Mr Annan had pardoned the UN’s top oversight official, who was facing allegations of favouritism and sexual harassment.

Twenty billion dollars stolen by a homicidal terror-supporting dictator, no big deal. But sexual harassment, now that’s important.