CANNES: Rock musician and passionate poverty relief campaigner Bob Geldof vowed to do everything in his power to get leaders of the world’s richest nations to uphold their promises to alleviate suffering in Africa.

If politicians fail to keep their promise made at last year’s G8 summit to give 0.7 per cent of their nations’ gross domestic product to help the world’s poor, “I will be extremely active in trying to get these people thrown out of office,” Geldof told a press conference.

Asked whether he had any plans to stage another global music event in the future, Geldof said, “I sincerely hope it wouldn’t be necessary”. But he didn’t rule that eventuality either.

Geldof was in Cannes at the music industry’s giant MIDEM trade fair to pick up its “personality of the year” award for 2006, which he was to receive with Harvey Goldsmith and John Kennedy, fellow founders and trustees of the Band Aid relief effort.