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UN to vote for Annan replacement South Korean FM 'leads' UN race
(about 11 hours later)
The United Nations Security Council is due to take an informal vote as part of the process of appointing a successor to Secretary General Kofi Annan. South Korean Foreign Minister Ban Ki-moon has won an informal UN Security Council vote to find Secretary General Kofi Annan's successor, diplomats say..
South Korean Foreign Minister Ban Ki-moon remains the favourite, but seven candidates are now standing. The 15 members of the Security Council voted on seven candidates in their third secret ballot on Thursday.
The 15 Security Council members will vote in their third secret ballot on Thursday, with another poll on Monday. Mr Ban comfortably beat Shashi Tharoor, the Indian UN Undersecretary General for public information who came second.
Mr Annan is due to step down at the end of the year after heading the organisation since 1997.Mr Annan is due to step down at the end of the year after heading the organisation since 1997.
Other candidates come from India, Thailand, Jordan and Sri Lanka. Latvia's president and an Afghan candidate entered the contest recently. Other candidates come from Thailand, Jordan and Sri Lanka. Latvia's president and an Afghan candidate entered the contest recently.
CANDIDATE LIST Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai AfghanistanBan Ki-moon South KoreaJayantha Dhanapala Sri LankaPrince Zeid al-Hussein JordanSurakiart Sathitathai ThailandShashi Tharoor IndiaPresident Vaira Vike-Freibergai Latvia Candidate profiles In Thursday's vote delegates will indicate whether they "encourage", or "discourage" a candidate, or whether they have no opinion. CANDIDATE LIST Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai AfghanistanBan Ki-moon South KoreaJayantha Dhanapala Sri LankaPrince Zeid al-Hussein JordanSurakiart Sathitathai ThailandShashi Tharoor IndiaPresident Vaira Vike-Freibergai Latvia Candidate profiles In the latest vote delegates indicated whether they "encouraged", or "discouraged" a candidate, or whether they had no opinion.
Mr Ban won the backing of 14 of 15 Security Council members in the last vote.
In Monday's vote the five permanent members of the Security Council, who have the power of veto, will vote on coloured ballot papers, indicating the likelihood of unanimity among the key players.In Monday's vote the five permanent members of the Security Council, who have the power of veto, will vote on coloured ballot papers, indicating the likelihood of unanimity among the key players.
The next secretary general is likely to be from an Asian country because of a convention that the position should rotate around by region.The next secretary general is likely to be from an Asian country because of a convention that the position should rotate around by region.
The Security Council will choose its preferred candidate, who must then be confirmed by a vote in the General Assembly.The Security Council will choose its preferred candidate, who must then be confirmed by a vote in the General Assembly.