S Korea's Ban set to lead UN

South Korean Foreign Minister Ban Ki-Moon is the only candidate left in the race to be UN secretary-general Kofi Annan's successor, as all the other contenders have withdrawn.

UN deputy spokeswoman Marie Okabe says all six rivals, who initially threw their hats into the ring, have informed the Security Council they are withdrawing their candidacies.

The last to pull out are Indian diplomat Shashi Tharoor, the UN undersecretary-general for communications and public information, who finished second to Mr Ban in informal straw polls, and former Thai deputy prime minister Surakiart Sathirathai.

Earlier Latvian President Vaira Vike-Freiberga, Jordan's UN ambassador Prince Zeid al-Hussein, Afghanistan's former finance minister Ashraf Ghani and Sri Lankan diplomat Jayantha Dhanapala also withdrew.

Last Monday Mr Ban, 62, won a decisive fourth straw poll in the Security Council after securing crucial backing from its five veto-wielding permanent members - Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States.

He had already won three previous polls by a wide margin.

Under the UN Charter the secretary-general is elected by the 192-member General Assembly on the recommendation of the Security Council.

After its formal vote next Monday the Security Council is widely expected to recommend the 192-member General Assembly in turn endorse Mr Ban to succeed Mr Annan when the Ghanaian UN chief steps down at the end of December after 10 years in office.

- AFP