Asia aims for top UN post

The race to fill the shoes of UN Secretary General Kofi Annan is gaining pace amid growing consensus that an Asian should take over when the Ghana native stands down at the end of next year.

Thailand's Deputy Prime Minister Surakiart Sathirathai and Sri Lanka's ex-UN disarmament expert Jayantha Dhanapala have formally declared their candidacies and several others from Asia may run, including South Korea's Foreign Minister Ban Ki-moon, diplomats said.

Dhanapala said it was only fair that the international community be offered a slate of Asian candidates as "it will be very arrogant of the Asian group to try to present one candidate for the rest of the world."

Dhanapala is highlighting his 10-year stint at the United Nations, including five years as an undersecretary dealing with disarmament issues, to gain support.

"An experience in the UN is obviously necessary because not only do we need reforms but they must be implemented by somebody who has the knowledge and experience to push them through by working with the staff and through consensus," he said.

Dhanapala is now a senior adviser to President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga and the coordinator of negotiations aimed at ending Sri Lanka's ethnic conflict.

The most high profile candidate is Thailand's Surakiart, who is globe trotting to gain support and pledging to make UN operations more transparent.

The region is facing early resistance from eastern and central European nations, with outgoing Polish President Alexander Kwasniewski indicating his interest for the job.

Russia, which has already pledged support for the Asian bid, may oppose such a nomination, one diplomat said, speaking on condition of anonymity. Aside from Russia, the Asian bid has the backing of another permanent UN Security Council member China.

Permanent council members, which also include the United States, France and Britain, can block candidates with their veto-wielding powers.

With the African group having also agreed to back Asia, diplomats said a substantial portion of the 191-member United Nations wants to maintain an informal rotation system among regions for the top UN job.- AFP