Straw poll boosts Tharoor, Korean chances for UN post

The South Korean and Indian candidates to become the next UN Secretary General got a boost when members of the Security Council encouraged them to stay in the race.

The South Korean and Indian candidates to become the next UN Secretary General got a boost when members of the Security Council encouraged them to stay in the race.

The other two candidates who have formally announced their desire to succeed Secretary General Kofi Annan8212;from Sri Lanka and Thailand8212;did not do as well, according to the informal poll on Monday of the 15 Security Council nations.

The poll gives an indication of how the two top vote getters8212;South Korean Foreign Minister Ban Ki-moon and Shashi Tharoor, UN Undersecretary General or Public Affairs8212;might fare when the formal election takes place later this year.

No candidate got 15 votes, meaning that any of the five permanent council members could have voted against the two best performers. Because the permanent five wield veto power, that would sink those candidates8217; aspirations.

Response has been tepid for the four announced candidates. Some diplomats say the person who will become the eighth Secretary General in the UN8217;s 60-year history has likely not yet emerged.

8216;8216;It8217;s clear that we need more candidates because none of these four are going to make it,8217;8217; one UN diplomat said after the vote.

In the informal poll, the 15 council nations checked one of three boxes for each candidate: 8216;8216;Encourage8217;8217;, 8216;8216;discourage8217;8217;, and 8216;8216;no opinion.8217;8217;

Story continues below this ad

Ban did the best, with 12 council nations encouraging him to run, one discouraging him and two giving no opinion. Tharoor was next, with 10 votes of encouragement, two of discouragement and three giving no opinion. 8216;8216;Considering I8217;ve entered the race just a month ago and am the only candidate who hasn8217;t visited all 15 capitals, I8217;m gratified to have received such a broad base of support,8217;8217; Tharoor said.