Foreign Minister Ban Ki-moon has secured the full backing of the permanent members of the UN Security Council and is now very likely to succeed Kofi Annan as the United Nations Secretary General. In the fourth crucial straw poll, Ban won 14 out of 15 valid votes with only one abstention. This was the first time the poll was held differentiating the ballot sheets used by the council's 10 non-permanent members from those of the five veto-wielding permanent members.
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Korea's Foreign Minister Ban Ki-moon arrives at the Foreign Ministry in Seoul on Tuesday. /AP-Yonhap
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A veto by one of the Big Five namely Britain, China, France, Russia and the U.S., would have doomed his chances. Ban, a career diplomat, has won all three previous straw polls by a wide margin. Having won another decisive victory, diplomats said Ban has sealed his bid of becoming the UN's eighth secretary general.
Under the UN Charter, the secretary general is elected by the 192-member General Assembly on the recommendation of the Security Council. The Council is expected to schedule a formal vote on Annan's succession later this month before relaying its choice to the General Assembly for endorsement.
Arirang News
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