Panama emerged Thursday as the compromise candidate to fill the remaining seat on the 15-member United Nations Security Council, breaking more than two weeks and 47 rounds of voting deadlock in the General Assembly that pitted Guatemala against Venezuela to represent the Latin American and Caribbean region, writes UN News.
The foreign ministers of the two rival countries decided to withdraw their candidatures at a meeting in New York and proposed Panama to the Group of Latin American and Caribbean States.
The 192-member Assembly is expected to proceed with a formal vote on the consensus candidate on Tuesday.
Throughout the earlier voting Guatemala maintained its lead over Venezuela, except in one tie vote, but was never able to reach the necessary two-thirds majority to serve as the region’s member for a two-year term starting on 1 January, replacing Argentina.
Kilde: www.un.org
Redaktionens tilføjelse: iagttagere ser resultatet som et sviende nederlag til Venezuelas præsident, Hugo Chavez, som de seneste måneder har ført en intens, diplomatisk kamp for at skaffe Venezuela posten.
Det menes, at hans voldsomme udfald mod USA og præsident George Bush, som han har sammenlignet med djævlen, har skadet Venezuelas chance for en plads i Sikkerhedsrådet.
