Jordan's Ambassador to the UN, Prince Zeid al-Hussein has joined the race to succeed Secretary General Kofi Annan.
UNITED NATIONS: Jordan's Ambassador to the United Nations Prince Zeid al-Hussein has joined the race to succeed Secretary General Kofi Annan, becoming the first Muslim to enter the fray, posing a challenge to four others in the field, including Indian nominee Shashi Tharoor.
Jordan on Tuesday informed the UN Securiy Council and the General Assembly of its decision to nominate western-educated Zeid for the post and circulated his bio-data among the press highlighting his achievements.
Besides Tharoor, the other candidates in the field are Thai Deputy Prime Minister Surakiart Sathirathai, Sri Lankan Jayantha Dhanapala and South Korean Foreign Minister Ban Ki Moon.
Diplomats said they expect more candidates to join the fray as time for selection nears.
Jordan is in the Asian group in the United Nations and Zeid could be considered an Asian candidate, diplomats said. But the reaction of major powers, especially China and Russia, was not immediately known.
Security Council President, Ambassador Adamantios Vassilakis of Greece, who announced the Prince's decision to join the race, said the Council plan to hold consultations on the issue in the middle of the month and a straw poll may be held later this month.
The new incumbent is expected to be selected by the Council in early October.
Under the UN charter, the 15-member Council nominates the candidate for the post and 192-member General Assembly formally elects him/her.
The Assembly cannot initiate action in this regard on its own. The five permanent members, the United States, Britain, France, Russia and China, can veto a candidate, and the consent of all five is needed for a name to be sent to the Assembly.
A candidate needs a minimum nine votes and no veto in the Council to be considered by the Assembly. The Assembly could technically reject a candidate but the issue will go back to the Council.
In the last straw poll, Moon and Tharoor had emerged top candidates, getting 12 and 10 positive votes respectively in the 15-member Council.
Annan is due to retire on December 31 at the end of his second five-year term.
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