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LONDON, SEPTEMBER 29: South Korea’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Ban-Ki Moon might be the front-runner to replace Kofi Annan as UN chief but according to media reports South Korea is offering millions of dollars to African countries and 'incentives' to UNSC members, in a bid to secure Moon's victory in the next UN Secretary General poll.
An investigation by The Times has disclosed that the South Koreans have been waging an aggressive campaign on behalf of Moon.
The ‘inducements’, according to The Times range from tens of millions of pounds of extra funding for African countries to lucrative trade agreements in Europe — and even the gift of a grand piano to Peru.
On Thursday, Moon retained his lead in an informal Security Council poll for UN Secretary-General and was the only candidate to get a clear majority. Ban received 13 votes in favour, one against and one "no opinion," one less favourable vote than in the last poll on September 14, diplomats reported.
India’s Shashi Tharoor dropped to eight encouragements from 10 earlier this month for the post of the UN Secretary-General and was at the second spot.
A further ballot will be held on Monday, with coloured cards to show if the negative vote comes from a veto- bearing permanent member. Britain and France both appear to harbour hopes that new candidates will still emerge.
The other candidates are: Surakiart Sathirathai, the ousted Deputy Prime Minister of Thailand; Shashi Tharoor, a senior Indian UN diplomat; Prince Zeid Raad Zeid alHussein, the Jordanian Ambassador to the UN; Jayantha Dhanapala, a former Sri Lankan official and UN diplomat; Ashraf Ghani, the former Afghan Finance Minister; and President Vike-Freiberga of Latvia. Last night, none of them received the nine positive votes necessary to be elected. |