Burkina-Faso, Libya, Vietnam to join UNSC next year

UNITED NATIONS: Burkina-Faso, Libya and Vietnam were set today to be elected non-permanent members of the UN Security Council for two years beginning next January 1, a UN source has said.
   
The three countries, which enjoy the support of their respective regional groups, will be elected by secret ballot by the 192-member General Assembly to succeed Congo, Ghana and Qatar, said the source yesterday who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Five non-permanent seats on the 15-member Security Council are up for grabs. Winners need a two-thirds majority and will take their seats on the panel on January 1.
   
The outcome of contests in the East European and Latin American/Caribbean groups was still uncertain, with two candidates vying for each of the two seats up for grabs.

In the East European group, a vote is to take place to choose who between Croatia and the Czech Republic will take over the seat which Slovakia will leave vacant at the end of the year.
   
In the Latin American/Caribbean group, the contest will be between Costa Rica and the Dominican Republic to succeed Peru.
   
The powerful Security Council is made up of five veto-wielding permanent members -- Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States -- and 10 non-permanent members, elected every year by groups of five for two-year mandates that cannot be immediately renewed.
   
Non-permanent members South Africa, Belgium, Indonesia, Italy and Panama will stay on the council until the end of 2008.